George Richards, FHN Publisher
When the Florida Panthers traded Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist to New Jersey late last month, they suddenly had themselves a depth problem on their fourth line.
But of course they had a plan.
The following day when free agency opened, the Panthers were quick to amswer the question of who would center their fourth line by signing veteran Lars Eller.
“Florida is a very desirable destination, a lot of things makes it a super competitive team,’’ Eller said. “A lot of things that made sense for me. I think the fit between what I bring and what the club was looking for.
“That’s kind of always the first thing. How do you fit it? How does the management see you fitting into the team, and where do you see yourself fitting into the team from that perspective? I think it made sense for both sides.”
Eller, 37, won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018 and has made it to the playoffs in 13 of his 17 NHL seasons.
Before the trade to get Jacob Markstrom on June 30, the thought was Rodrigues would at least start at center of the fourth line.
Of course, with the way the Panthers needed to move salary to get a new goalie tandem under the cap, it was pretty much assumed Rodrigues and his $3 million hit would be one of Florida’s offseason casualties.
In Eller, the Panthers found a very strong player for the position — one whom is very excited for the opportunity to win the Stanley Cup at least one more time.
“I’m as hungry as ever,” said Eller, who spoke to the South Florida media with a replica of the Stanley Cup displayed prominently behind him.
“I want to say I still have that same hunger as I when I came into the league almost two decades ago. Once you’ve had a taste of winning, it doesn’t satisfy that hunger to want to go out and do it again. And I think this team has also proved that they have that hunger in them.”
Eller was drafted by the Blues in 2007 and made his NHL debut when them two years later.
He was traded to Montreal in 2010 as part of the Jaroslav Halak deal, spending six seasons with the Canadiens.
Eller won the Cup during his first stint with the Capitals, and also played for the Penguins.
He spent last season playing with Brady Tkachuk and the Senators, and the now-former Ottawa captain sang Eller’s praises during the podcast he hosts with Matthew.
“I cannot tell you how much of a help he was for me as a captain and a leader,” Brady Tkachuk said. “He was always dialed in, always prepared, always ready to go.
“I think he’s going to be a perfect fit for our team.”
ON DECK: FLORIDA PANTHERS OFFSEASON
- NHL Free Agency: Opened July 1
- Panthers Rookie Camp/Tournament: Late August/Early Sept.; Site TBA
- Panthers Training Camp: Early/Mid September; Fort Lauderdale
- Panthers Preseason (Four Games): Starts Sept. 20 vs. Carolina Hurricanes
- 2026-27 NHL Season Opens: Late September; Site, Opponent TBA