General manager of the year finalist Bill Zito hasn’t heard yet whether he has won the award, but he has plenty of hard work ahead that could determine whether he’s in the running again next year.
The Florida Panthers won their second consecutive Stanley Cup title on June 17, two weeks before NHL free agency opens up on July 1.
That gives Zito little time to work through the team’s list of significant pending unrestricted free agents. Last year, he got an eight-year deal done with Sam Reinhart (for less than $9 million a year) before free agency opened. That paid off when the forward scored seven goals in the Stanley Cup Final, including four goals in the clinching game.
This year’s list includes some key players. According to puckpedia, the Panthers have $19 million in cap space.
Here is what’s awaiting the Panthers and Edmonton Oilers during the offseason:
What’s next for the Florida Panthers?
The biggest free agent is Sam Bennett, 28, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after scoring a league-best 15 goals. He had 51 points in 62 games during the Panthers’ three consecutive runs to the Stanley Cup Final. In addition to his scoring prowess, he plays with an edge and is sometimes accused of going over the line.
Brad Marchand, who came over in a shocking trade from the Boston Bruins, is also a pending UFA. The 37-year-old had six goals during the final, scoring on breakaways and spectacular moves. Panthers teammates and coach Paul Maurice raved about his attitude.
Pending UFA defenseman Aaron Ekblad, 29, has been key to the Panthers through the years since he was taken No. 1 overall in 2014. He’s on the top defense pairing with Gustav Forsling but missed 20 games with a PED suspension and another two for a playoff hit.
Other pending UFAs include Nate Schmidt, Tomas Nosek, Nico Sturm and backup goalie Vitek Vanecek. No. 1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is entering the final year of his contract, as is defenseman Niko Mikkola.
Core players Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, Seth Jones, Forsling and Dmitry Kulikov are signed long-term, and Eetu Luostarinen and Evan Rodrigues have two years left on their contracts.
What’s next for the Edmonton Oilers?
The Oilers fell short for the second year in a row as the Panthers’ forechecking scheme frustrated them again.
They have $11 million in cap space as Leon Draisaitl’s extension kicks in and makes him the NHL’s highest-paid player. Connor McDavid, entering the last year of his contract and a potential free agent at the end of the season, is eligible to sign an extension as early as July 1, which should restore him atop the league’s salary structure. Or he can wait. An extension would take effect in 2026-27.
The Oilers have a long list of pending UFAs, including Connor Brown, 40-year-old Corey Perry, Trent Frederic, Kasperi Kapanen and John Klingberg..
Defenseman Evan Bouchard is a restricted free agent. He’s known for his offensive abilities but also had a playoff-high 41 giveaways.
Goalies Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have one left on their contracts at a combined $3.6 million cap hit. Defensemen Mattias Ekholm, Jake Walman, Brett Kulak and Troy Stecher also have a year left on their deals.