2024 Stanley Cup Champions

Bill Zito: Florida Panthers Want to Sign ‘All Our Guys’

Published

9 months ago

June 29, 2024

Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito celebrates with defenseman Uvis Balinskis after Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night in Sunrise. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito was back on the job Friday night as the NHL kicked off its two-day draft in Las Vegas.

Forgive him if his head, and his attention, was elsewhere.

It has only been a few days since Zito’s team won the Stanley Cup and, in the aftermath of that momentous victory, there was plenty of work to be done.

And almost none of it had to do with hockey.

“It’s crazy,” Zito said. “I made a joke to someone earlier that I feel like a wedding planner. You’re just trying to make sure that whatever happens next is as good as it can be for the players so they can really enjoy it. You’re putting our fires you did not even know existed. Lots of busy.”

Yet, hockey, calls.

Not only is the draft going down — the Panthers do not have a pick until the third round sometime early this afternoon — but free agency is about to explode.

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It will not even have been a full week from when the Panthers won Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers to the start of free agency on Monday at noon.

“It is such a short window to try and get guys signed and then prepare for free agency,’’ Zito said. “You work all through the playoffs, although it is probably less efficient working there the deeper we went. We had the luxury of last year’s experience, knowing we had to stay on it at least on the pro side. A lot of that work had been done in advance.’’

Zito would not talk about word that he and Sam Reinhart are close to announcing a long-term deal, but he did say he hopes to keep as many members of the 2024 Stanley Cup champions in South Florida as possible.

The Panthers have just under $20 million in cap space with 11 unrestricted free agents and two who are restricted free agents.

“We really hope to have him back,” Zito said of Reinhart. “We’re trying to keep as many as the guys we possibly can. I am optimistic, and we’ll see.”

Zito was asked if Florida could keep both Reinhart and defenseman Brandon Montour.

“I don’t know,’’ he said. “At the risk of being coy, there is a way, but I am also appreciative that guys do well and they deserve to get paid. They deserve bigger and better opportunities. We respect it, and hopefully we’re a place where … someone else will want to come.’’