The Florida Panthers have entered the 2025 NHL offseason as the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. Amidst all the hoopla and partying, there are imperative business decisions that must be made. Three days ago, Bill Zito and the front office were able to come to terms on a new contract extension with Sam Bennett, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent.
Getting 'Benny' signed to a new deal is great, but Aaron Ekblad, along with Brad Marchand, are still not signed to new deals. There is plenty of speculation on how the Panthers could retain both of them. There have been rumors surrounding both players and whether they would leave in the summer. While there is still no official word on what is happening, there is no secret involving the cap situation.
You also have to worry about Mackie Samoskevich, who's a restricted free agent and is coming off a good rookie season. Heading into free agency, the Panthers have $11 million available in cap space, but more money might be needed to retain all three, especially Ekblad. With that being said, there are three players the Panthers can realistically trade away to free up more space.
The first candidate is the most obvious individual who could get moved. Evan Rodrigues originally signed a four-year contract as a free agent in the summer of 2023. With him in the lineup, he proved to be one of the final pieces needed to complete Florida's roster. The Panthers have won both Stanley Cups with him serving as a utility anchor for the lineup.
However, lost in all the positivity is that 'E-Rod' did not have the best season last year. He regressed from his 2023-24 production. Last season, the veteran totaled seven fewer points while playing in all 82 games. Even more staggering is his massive drop-off in plus/minus rating. In 2023-24, Rodrigues posted a +26 rating. This past year saw his rating plummet to a -4.
He's getting older and might have shown some wear and tear, especially for the role he was plugged into. Rodrigues can still be useful, but with all the names the Panthers need to retain, is it worth keeping him around? We don't think anybody would choose to keep 'E-Rod' over someone who has as much significance to the team as Ekblad.
At the start of next season, Rodrigues will be 32 years old and is still under contract for two more seasons. He's making $6 million total. He spent most of his time on the third line this past season and has even been on the fourth line at times. While he has been able to fill out different spots in the lineup, it seems as if anyone can come in and replicate that, considering Florida's system.
As mentioned earlier, Samoskevich had a good rookie year. It is possible that E-Rod can go while Mackie takes his spot. Even though it might still be a little early, Samoskevich has the talent and upside to play on the second line. With a year of experience, he has already shown flashes of what promises to be a good career. While E-Rod can stay, he must be moved if his salary gets in the way of extensions for the team's biggest free agents.
Another player the Panthers could move is Jesper Boqvist. 'J-Bo' signed as a free agent before last season, to a 3-year deal. He is owed $3 total over the next two seasons. Boqvist was a solid addition to the roster before last season and helped stabilize the bottom-six, particularly the fourth line. During the regular season, the Swede put up respectable numbers.
In 78 games, he scored 12 goals and totaled 23 points. However, in the postseason, he was mostly a non-factor. In 13 playoff games, he had a total of five points. His goals came in Game Five against Toronto in the second round and Game Three against Carolina in the Eastern Conference Final. After Game Two of the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers, he was a healthy scratch for the rest of the series.
Now, that's not to say Boqvist can't be useful for Florida anymore. His deal is honestly very good considering the type of player he is. However, the cruel world of the NHL can have guys moving places fast, and Jesper's money can't get in the way. There are always plenty of options every year who can fill a fourth-line role, especially on the wings.
Bill Zito has had a history of finding quality and useful players for that role. Whether you look at Boqvist, A.J. Greer, Ryan Lomberg, Steven Lorentz, Kevin Stenlund, Jonah Gadjovich, and Nick Cousins. It's been a revolving door, but the one thing you can't deny is that all have been useful, no matter what their overall skillset was as players. If Boqvist goes, it won't be hard to replace him.
Putting Dmitry Kulikov's name in a list like this hurts. The blueliner has been a longtime fixture in Panthers history. He was a first-round draft pick of the franchise back in 2009. He played his first seven seasons in South Florida. After getting jilted out of town by a new front office, he returned as a free agent in the summer of 2023.
Kulikov has stabilized the backend and has completed the top six over these last two years. He's done exactly what he was brought here to do. Kulikov has been a shutdown defenseman who is vital to Florida's penalty killing and is a physical presence on the ice. He's always been great for logging nearly 20 minutes of ice time.
However, 'Kuli' is turning 35 years old next October. While his cap hit isn't backbreaking, Kulikov will be owed $3 million total over the next two years. The Russian is making $1.5 million per season. While he's been a solid performer for us, it's easy to wonder about his durability for the future. How long can he keep this going?
Will he be able to continue playing at the level he has been playing at? Can that consistency continue until the end of the contract? It's possible, but considering he's coming off two deep playoff runs in a row, it's not certain that Kulikov won't decline, especially with his body taking a beating at his age. While he might be one of the last resorts in shedding salary, he could be on the move as well.