Florida Panthers Sign F Noel Acciari to a Three-Year, $5M Contract

The Florida Panthers added depth to their forward core by signing a fourth-line forward to add to the mix.

On Monday, July 1, the Florida Panthers announced the signing of forward Noel Acciari on a three-year, $5M contract worth $1.67M annually.

Acciari, who’s 27-years-old, spent the past four seasons with the Boston Bruins. A native of Rhode Island, Acciari went undrafted and was signed to a two-year, entry-level contract by his hometown team.

In a total of 180 games with the Bruins, Acciari recorded 18G, 13A, and 31 points. His time in Boston was largely spent playing on the fourth line, providing toughness, energy and grit.

Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon offered some words on the fourth signing of the day:

"“Noel is a hard-nosed, reliable, two-way forward who plays the game with an edge. He possesses great character, playoff experience and adds a consistent physical presence to our lineup. We are thrilled to have agreed to terms with Noel and know that he makes our club deeper and harder to play against.”"

The Panthers have been looking to strengthen their bottom line for years now and view Acciari as another piece to add to the puzzle.

While he can feature in a number of roles up front, he can also play on the penalty kill, helping the team kill penalties when the top unit is on the bench resting.

In addition, Acciari is a player who isn’t afraid to stick up for himself or his teammates, evident by the fights he’s gotten into in the past.

For the Panthers, while this signing may come with some question marks, it also comes at a fairly low cost to ditch if things don’t work out. Above all, this move addresses a need on the bottom line, which Dale said he was going to confront heading into free agency.

Barring any other signings, it looks like Noel Acciari will be the final one of the day. Expect the Florida Panthers to add more through signings and make some more moves throughout the course of the summer.