George Richards, FHN Publisher
The Florida Panthers have been extremely busy by acquiring two of the top targets before the NHL Trade Deadline hits Monday at 3 p.m.
On Saturday, the team completed a blockbuster deal with the Philadelphia Flyers for Claude Giroux.
There is no way the Panthers make another move, right?
Well…
If the Panthers expect to be without star defenseman Aaron Ekblad for an extended period of time, GM Bill Zito may keep working the phones scouring the market looking for defensive help before Monday afternoon.
It appeared Zito was done shopping for defense after signing Finnish free agent Petteri Lindbohm then trading two draft picks and a prospect for Ben Chiarot.
But that was before Ekblad got hurt Friday night.
As was the case last year, Ekblad sustained a leg injury just before the Trade Deadline hit.
The Panthers knew Ekblad needed surgery right away last March and Zito was able to pull in Brandon Montour from Buffalo (as well as Lucas Carlsson from Chicago while losing Riley Stillman) close to the deadline.
By acquiring Chiarot and Lindbohm — as well as already having Montour on the roster — Florida’s defense is already deeper than it was last year at the deadline.
The extent of Ekblad’s injury has not been made public although coach Andrew Brunette said following Friday’s game that it does not appear to be long-term and he should be OK.
Still. Zito may still be checking out what is out there.
So, which defenseman could the Panthers get at this deadline? What do they have left to give?
And, with the Panthers currently over the salary cap as the roster stands, how do they pull something off?
UPDATE: Today the Panthers put Ekblad on LTIR making them cap compliment and allowing them to acquire Robert Hagg from Buffalo for a sixth-round pick.
Read more below…
Florida, which has given up its first-round picks in 2023 and 2024 for Chiarot and Giroux, does not have a lot of draft capital to move.
The Panthers have already traded away their first round picks in the next three drafts; Florida also does not have a second round selection in the next two drafts.
At this time of year, teams who are sellers are usually looking for draft stock or prospects.
Florida has the latter. The past two deals cost the Panthers draft stock and Owen Tippett, but left the rest of their prospects in place.
With no first round picks until 2025 — and only one second in 2023 — you can probably figure the Panthers would be out of the running for some of the big defensemen said to be on the market.
The likes of Mark Giordano and Jakob Chychrun are all going to command at least one first-round pick especially since the market has been set.
Florida, by giving up its 2023 first-round pick to Montreal for Chiarot, helped set it.
Hampus Lindholm, one of the top defensemen available going into the weekend, went to the Bruins on Saturday for two players, a first and two second-round picks. Defenseman Kodie Curran went with Lindholm from Anaheim.
Still, there are plenty of defensemen who would be available for a cheaper price and, since the Panthers already have Chiarot ready to go, they’re not necessarily looking for a top-pairing guy.
When it comes to depth, the Panthers are expected to get Markus Nutivaara back for the postseason.
Nutivaara, who played in 30 games for the Panthers last season (plus five against the Lightning in the playoffs), was hurt the day before the opener.
He came back a few weeks later and played in one game before needing what is believed to have been hip surgery.
Nutivaara reportedly has been skating and could be a nice add when the regular season is complete.
Florida is also right up against the salary cap but they could move things around to pick up some assets — if it can find a partner willing to take what it has to offer.
Here is where it gets interesting.
If the Panthers think Ekblad will be out four-to-six weeks, for instance, he could be placed on long-term injured reserve which would mean most of his $7.5 million annual cap hit would be available to use before the deadline.
As of Saturday afternoon, the Panthers have not done so and would not do so until the deadline gets closer.
A player would have to miss 10 games and 24 days once they go on LTIR.
The Panthers have 20 games and about five weeks left in their season.
Florida would have to be cap compliant when Ekblad is ready to go — but as we saw in the playoffs last year with Tampa Bay, if Ekblad were to stay on LTIR until after the end of the regular season, he could jump back in for the playoffs as if nothing ever happened.
The salary cap, you may recall, does not count in the playoffs.
With that all said, here are some depth defensemen the Panthers could probably swing. Unless, of course, Ekblad will only miss a game or two — we should know more on that front today — and then Zito is probably pretty comfortable with what he’s got.
We’re not looking at the big guns.
Again, Florida probably does not have enough to offer to land one of them and may not want to, either.
And, with Matt Kiersted and Chase Priskie down in Charlotte — not to mention Lucas Carlsson and the potential return of Nutivaara — the Panthers may feel they’re fine with what they have got.
POTENTIAL DEFENSEMEN TARGETS
Robert Hagg, Buffalo ($1.6m AAV, UFA): A solid depth defender with some playoff experience from his Flyers days, Hagg won’t cost a lot and may be more in line with what the Panthers are looking for as a guy who could play bottom-pair minutes and add some bite to their play.
Marc Staal, Detroit ($2m AAV, UFA): The 35-year-old played in his 1,000th NHL game last week and has a no-trade clause so, if the Wings are looking to move him, he’ll have to approve it. Staal has played in 107 playoff games — all with the Rangers — but hasn’t been in the postseason in a while so the thought is he is hungry to join a contender.
Nick Leddy, Detroit ($5.5m AAV, UFA): A Cup champ with the Blackhawks who faced the Panthers twice in the postseason with the Islanders, Leddy is a left-handed defenseman who has good speed and can move the puck. Detroit would likely retain some salary here helping give the Panthers another option on the left side.
Calvin de Haan, Chicago ($4.55m AAV, UFA): The rumored price for the Cup champ is reportedly a second-round pick, something the Panthers do not have until 2024. The competition would be pretty strong, one would think, for a reliable defensive stalwart who kills penalties and blocks shots. The price here — not to mention the cap hit — may be too high for what the Panthers can pay. He’s a lefty, though, so that’s something the right-heavy Panthers are looking for.
Mark Pysyk, Buffalo ($900K, UFA): This one may be a bit of a stretch considering Zito let Pysyk walk in 2020 but there is no doubt he would be welcomed back in the room with outstretched arms. Aside from his immense popularity among teammates, Pysyk is a solid depth defenseman who moves the puck very well, is dependable and isn’t going to cost very much. As we saw in 2019-20, he can play anywhere he is needed. This Prius doesn’t come with a high sticker price but could be extremely valuable to a team like the Panthers. The more I think about this — the fit, the cost both against the cap and what it would take to bring him back — the more I have talked myself into it.
Mark Pysyk of the Florida Panthers makes a play against the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2019-20 season. — Roger Lee Photographer (561) 866-2000
Nick Holden, Ottawa ($1.7m AAV this season, $1.3 in 2022-23): A veteran player with a lot of playoff experience (55 games including 34 the past two seasons with Vegas), Holden has experience and plays a solid defensive game. Thing is, he may not be available. Signed for a reasonable deal next season, the rebuilding Sens probably want to keep him around to help the kids.
Justin Braun, Philadelphia ($1.8m AAV, UFA): Perhaps in all of those conversations with Philadelphia GM Chuck Fletcher, Braun’s name came up as well. The price is probably about right and he can help eat up some minutes in a defensive role.
Scott Mayfield, Islanders ($1.45m AAV this season, $1.45m AAV in 2022-23): Forget that Mayfield’s hit on Sasha Barkov earlier this season cost the Florida captain some games. He would help Florida defensively and be at a reasonable price next season as well. Being signed through next season could keep him off the market, however, as the Isles look at this season as a blip on their radar. If New York does deal him, the cost to acquire is likely too rich for Florida.
P.K. Subban, New Jersey ($9m AAV, UFA): No doubt Subban’s best years are behind him but he is a veteran presence who could come in in a pinch and help out. New Jersey is going to retain cap space in any deal as very few teams can (or want to) add Subban with that bloated cap hit even at 50 percent . Subban’s real salary this year is $8 million — with $6 million already paid in signing bonus so the money an acquiring team would owe is extremely low. If Ekblad is on LTIR, who knows? Subban gave the wig he wore at the 2016 All-Star game to Jaromir Jagr. Maybe Jagr would send it back to Sunrise — that, or it’s sitting in storage in the Florida equipment room somewhere.
UP NEXT FOR THE FLORIDA PANTHERS
FLORIDA PANTHERS AT MONTREAL CANADIENS
- When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
- Where: Bell Center, Montreal
- Tickets: CLICK HERE
- TV/Streaming: Bally Sports Florida
- Radio: WQAM 560, SiriusXM
- Last season: Did not play
- All-time regular season series: Florida leads 49-48, 6 ties
- Season series — Florida leads 1-0: @Florida 5, Montreal 2 (Jan. 1)