Panthers 2023 Free Agents, Draft Targets, Offseason Guide After Stanley Cup Loss

Panthers 2023 Free Agents, Draft Targets, Offseason Guide After Stanley Cup Loss

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The Florida Panthers have been beaten in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final after a Game 5 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, and now it’s time for the franchise to begin preparing for the 2023-24 season.

After finishing the regular season with a 42-32-8 record and clinching the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, the Panthers were never projected to make it this far.

However, after upsetting the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes en route to the Final, it felt like Florida was going to be a team of destiny.

After the team fell at the final hurdle, though, general manager Bill Zito will have his work cut out this summer in an effort to go one step further next year.

So, let’s take a look at the Panthers’ free agents, some draft targets and what to expect this offseason.

Free Agents

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Unrestricted free agents: Eric Staal, Marc Staal, Radko Gudas, Patric Hörnqvist, Alex Lyon, Evan Fitzpatrick.

Restricted free agents: Colin White, Givani Smith, Lucas Carlsson, Casey Fitzgerald.

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Given the ages of Eric (38) and Marc Staal (36), it’s reasonable to believe the Panthers could look to move on from the brothers this summer and bring in some younger talent.

Two unrestricted free agents Florida may look to retain this offseason are defenseman Radko Gudas and goaltender Alex Lyon.

Gudas has spent the last three years of his career with the Panthers and is coming off a solid 2022-23 season in which he had two goals and 15 assists in 72 games while also posting a plus-14 rating.

Retaining the 33-year-old probably won’t be a priority for the Panthers this summer, though re-signing him and having him continue to play on the team’s third pairing alongside Josh Mahura in 2023-24 would be ideal.

Lyon, meanwhile, appeared in 15 games for the Panthers during the 2022-23 regular season, posting a 9-4-2 record, 2.89 goals-against average and .912 save percentage.

The 30-year-old also served as the main backup to Sergei Bobrovsky during the playoffs, with Spencer Knight in the NHL’s Player Assistance Program.

Given the fact that it’s unclear when Knight may return to the ice, re-signing Lyon makes a lot of sense for Florida.

2023 Draft Targets

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The Panthers do not have a first-round draft pick this summer after trading it to the Montreal Canadiens for Ben Chiarot in March 2022, so they can pretty much be ruled out of the elite of the 2023 class.

That said, Florida will still make five selections this offseason:

• One second-round pick
• One fourth-round pick
• One fifth-round pick
• One sixth-round pick
• One seventh-round pick (from Arizona Coyotes)

The Panthers could use some upgrades to their prospect pool across the board, though more of a focus could be placed on defense this summer as forwards Grigori Denisenko and Justin Sourdif are two of their best prospects.

Free-Agent Targets

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The Panthers are in for an interesting offseason as they could use some upgrades on both offense and defense, though the latter area might present a more pressing need if Marc Staal and Radko Gudas exit in free agency.

One potential player Florida could target on defense is Shayne Gostisbehere, who split the 2022-23 campaign between the Arizona Coyotes and Carolina Hurricanes.

The 30-year-old, who is more of an offensive specialist, notched 13 goals and 28 assists for 41 points in 75 games between the Coyotes and Hurricanes. In 15 playoff games with Carolina, he tallied three assists.

The Florida native could easily slot into the top four, more likely on the second pairing alongside Brandon Montour.

Florida’s bottom six on offense could also use an upgrade, perhaps in the form of Tomáš Nosek or Miles Wood.

Nosek was one of the best penalty-killers in the NHL during the 2022-23 season with the Boston Bruins and is also strong at the face-off dot. In 66 games, the 30-year-old recorded seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points. He also won 59.3 percent of his faceoffs.

Given the fact that Florida’s penalty kill ranked 23rd in the NHL in 2022-23, adding the Czech could be a huge boost for the franchise in that area.

Wood, meanwhile, plays a heavy game and isn’t afraid to get to the dirty areas. He also provides scoring in the process, having notched 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points in 76 games during the 2022-23 campaign.

Inserting the 27-year-old into the bottom six, possibly alongside Sam Reinhart, could present an intriguing look for the Panthers.