Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers Trade for a Backup Goalie with Playoff Experience
FORT LAUDERDALE — The Florida Panthers made another trade Wednesday, swinging a deal with the San Jose Sharks for goalie Vitek Vanecek.
Vanecek, who has played five seasons in the NHL, will back up Sergei Bobrovsky moving forward and is expected to make his first start Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres.
With the Sharks in Denver, Vanecek is said to be heading to the airport to fly to South Florida and should be the backup Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Panthers sent rookie forward Patrick Giles to the Sharks.
No money was retained in the deal.
Vanecek, 29, will be a free agent after this season but gives Florida an experienced option behind Bobrovsky.
For the Sharks this season, Vanecek was 3-10-3 with a .882/3.88.
He has also played for the Capitals and Devils; he went 1-1 against the Panthers in the first round of the 2022 playoffs while with Washington.
Vanecek won 33 games with New Jersey the following season.
Last year, he sustained a groin injury and was traded to the Sharks at the trade deadline.
Florida had called up Chris Driedger from AHL Charlotte after trading Spencer Knight to the Blackhawks for Seth Jones.
Coach Paul Maurice says the Panthers will not keep three goalies — meaning Driedger will be headed back to Charlotte.
“He is a good player and we have a heavy schedule,’’ Maurice said of Vanecek. “It’s actually good because we bring in a guy that has NHL experience and we’re going to need to play him games to make sure Sergei’s numbers are at the right level.
“We need to win those games, so we needed a guy that could come in and stop the puck.’’
The Panthers made another move Wednesday, placing forward Jesse Puljujarvi on waivers — he was on an AHL contract with the Checkers — and signing him to a one-year NHL deal.
He had three assists in seven games with the Checkers after ending his contract with the Penguins early.
ON DECK: GAME No. 63
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS at FLORIDA PANTHERS
- When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
- Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
- Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FtL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SW Fla)
- Streaming: Panthers+; ESPN+
- Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
- Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
- This Season (Panthers lead 1-0) — At Florida: Thursday. At Columbus: Panthers 4, Blues Jackets 3 (Oct. 15); March 20.
- Last Season: Panthers Won 3-0
- All-time Regular Season Series: Columbus leads 26-21-4
- Up Next for the Panthers: Saturday vs. Buffalo Sabres, 6 p.m.
