We’re now just one week away from the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo and less than two weeks from the start of a new league year.
Between the annual prospect selection and the opening of free agency a few days later, player movement and contract signings will make for a fun few days around the NHL.
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The Florida Panthers should be in the thick of the fun.
Florida holds the ninth overall selection at next week’s draft, and they also have over $15 in cap space to work with.
That means Panthers General Manager Bill Zito will have some options to work with, and you better believe he and his staff have been diligently preparing for several potential situations, depending on how the chips may end up falling.
We’ve touched on several of the storylines surrounding Florida, from Sergei Bobrovsky’s pending free agency to the potential mutual interest between the Panthers and Dylan Larkin, and now we can toss a couple new updates into the mix thanks to a pair of fresh reports.
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During a recent appears on Inside Sports, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that interest remains from Florida in goaltenders Jordan Binnington and Connor Hellebuyck.
Either of those two netminders landing in Pantherland would almost certainly mean that Bobrosky was not returning, so one domino falling will impact the other, whichever and whenever that may be.
Both Binnington and Hellebuyck are under contract and would require a trade to end up wearing a Panthers sweater next season.
Binnington, 32, has one year remaining on his current deal with a $6 million average annual value (AAV), while Hellebuyck, 33, has five years left on his contract that pays an AAV of $8.5 million.
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Additionally, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes linked the Panthers to former Cats defenseman Radko Gudas.
Even though he just turned 36, Gudas can still play at a high level and has an idea of what would be expected of him under Paul Maurice in Florida.
The final season of Gudas’ three with the Panthers was Maurice’s first, when Florida marched to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final only to come up short against the Vegas Golden Knights.
After a successful run with Florida, Gudas signed with the youthful Anaheim Ducks, who promptly named him their captain.
He’s hitting the market after earning a $4 million AAV over three years on his last deal, and will likely be seeking something in the $3.5 to $4 million range on his next deal, according to Weekes.
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Currently, the Panthers have six defenseman under NHL contracts for next season: Aaron Ekblad, Gus Forsling, Seth Jones, Niko Mikkola, Dmitry Kulikov and Uvis Balinskis.
Obviously there are only so many assets and so much money to go around, so it will be interesting to see whatever ends up happening with the Panthers at all three positions.
Will Zito go into the season with seven defensemen on NHL contracts?
What direction will the team end up doing in goal?
How does the ninth overall pick at next week’s draft play into the decision?
Let us know down in the comments how you think things should play out.
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Photo caption: Jan 15, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (7) looks on against the Florida Panthers during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
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