Zether was the 129th overall pick by the Panthers in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
Sporting a mid-October birthday, Zether was one of the draft's oldest first-year eligible players. While some analytic-driven teams undoubtedly dinged him for that, the flip side is that Zether spent 42 games in the SHL this past season. He only contributed four assists, but Zether isn't out there for his offense. He's a big body (6-foot-3) and a smart player. His zone exits are simple but clean. Swedish rearguards are taught how to defend at a young age, and Zether is no exception. Expect him to marinate in Europe for a couple more seasons before trying his hand stateside.
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Panthers' Matvei Shuravin: Final pick of Round 3
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Shuravin was the 97th overall pick by the Panthers in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
Shurvain's game may lack dynamic qualities, but he's a solid all-around defender. He played KHL games this past season as a 17-year-old, which is no small feat. His skating is somewhere between average and a tick above. Shuravin doesn't project as much of a point producer at the NHL level, but he rarely makes mistakes with the puck and calmly gets the puck out of his zone without issue. It will take some time, but Shuravin has the ceiling of a bottom-pairing regular, which would be an excellent outcome at this stage of the draft.
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Panthers' Linus Eriksson: Swede joins champs in Round 2
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Eriksson was the 58th overall pick by the Panthers in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
A two-way center lauded for his leadership abilities, Eriksson served as Sweden's captain at the World U18 Championship and led all U18 players in scoring (11 points in 29 games) while playing for Djurgardens in Sweden's second tier Allsvenskan. The statistics might not pop at first glance, but the fact Eriksson earned a regular role playing against men at such a young age is an extremely positive development. It would be a stretch to project Eriksson as a future top-six pivot at the NHL level, but his versatility and awareness in the defensive zone should make him an ideal depth addition to the Florida lineup at some point down the road.
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Panthers' Matt Kiersted: Inks two-way deal
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Kiersted signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Panthers on Friday.
Kiersted had four goals, 15 points and 53 PIM in 57 regular-season contests with AHL Charlotte in 2023-24. The 26-year-old also has two goals and six points across 37 career NHL outings.
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Panthers' Patrick Giles: Signs two-year deal
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Giles inked a two-year, two-way contract with the Panthers on Friday.
Giles had 13 goals and 23 points in 66 regular-season contests with AHL Charlotte in 2023-24. The 24-year-old forward hasn't appeared in an NHL game.
Kulikov notched an assist in Monday's 2-1 win over the Oilers in Game 7.
Kulikov's only two points in the playoffs were both assists, and they came in the last two games. The defenseman added 56 hits, 25 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating while playing in a bottom-pairing role over 24 postseason appearances. The 33-year-old is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, one of three regulars on the Panthers' blue line that could hit the open market July 1.
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Panthers' Anton Lundell: Pockets assist in Game 7 win
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Lundell registered an assist in Monday's 2-1 win over the Oilers in Game 7.
Lundell didn't score a goal in June, but he had six assists over eight contests. The 22-year-old center wrapped up the postseason with 17 points, 29 shots on net, 44 hits, 17 blocked shots and a plus-8 rating while playing in a key two-way role on the third line. He's set to be a restricted free agent this summer after reaching the end of his entry-level deal, and it's likely the Panthers find a way to keep him around.
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Panthers' Evan Rodrigues: Collects helper in Game 7
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Rodrigues recorded an assist in Monday's 2-1 win over the Oilers in Game 7.
Rodrigues was one of the Panthers' top players in the Stanley Cup Finals -- he supplied four goals and three assists in the seven-game series. The 30-year-old forward ended up with 15 points, 44 shots on net, 55 hits and a plus-6 rating over 24 playoff contests. Rodrigues is one of seven NHL-level forwards the Panthers have under contract for 2024-25 after signing a four-year deal last offseason. He should continue to operate in a middle-six role for Florida.
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Panthers' Sam Reinhart: Scores Cup-clinching goal
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Reinhart scored a goal on two shots, added two hits and blocked three shots in Monday's 2-1 win over the Oilers in Game 7.
After a close call for the Oilers, Reinhart got out on a rush the other way and sniped home the decisive goal at 15:11 of the second period. While it wasn't the instant gratification of an overtime tally, Reinhart's goal ultimately sealed the Panthers' first Stanley Cup title. The 28-year-old concluded his best year yet with 10 goals and six assists over 24 playoff contests after posting 57 goals and 94 points in the regular season. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, though he'll likely be near the top of the list of players the Panthers attempt to re-sign.
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Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe: Two points in Cup clincher
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Verhaeghe scored a goal on three shots, added an assist, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Monday's 2-1 win over the Oilers in Game 7.
Verhaeghe didn't do much in the Stanley Cup Finals, but he saved his best effort of the series for the last game. He posted four points over seven contests versus the Oilers and finished the postseason at 11 goals, 10 assists, 79 shots on net, 27 hits, 14 blocked shots and a minus-5 rating through 24 appearances. Verhaeghe is entering a contract year in 2024-25, as it's the final season of his three-year extension from 2021.
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Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky: Makes 23 saves in Game 7 win
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Bobrovsky stopped 23 of 24 shots in Monday's 2-1 win over the Oilers in Game 7.
Bobrovsky was able to shake off a three-game losing streak just in time. He was back in vintage form, and he stepped up with the Oilers pressing while searching for a tying goal that never came in the third period. Bobrovsky ends the postseason at 16-8 with a 2.32 GAA and a .906 save percentage over 24 contests. The newly minted Stanley Cup champion has made good on the seven-year, $70 million deal he signed in 2019, which runs through the 2025-26 campaign.
Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky: Tending twine in Game 7
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Bobrovsky will patrol the home crease Monday in Game 7 against Edmonton, according to Colby Guy of The Palm Beach Post.
Bobrovsky will be back on the ice for Monday's morning skate after skipping Sunday's session for routine-related reasons. He has surrendered 12 goals on 58 shots during his three-game losing streak. Bobrovsky needs to end that skid Monday for the Panthers to avoid becoming the second team in NHL history to blow a 3-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Finals. The 35-year-old netminder has a 15-8 record with a 2.38 GAA and a .903 save percentage through 23 starts this postseason.
Kulikov posted an assist, two shots on goal and four hits in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Oilers in Game 6.
The helper was Kulikov's first point since April 4, ending a 27-game dry spell that had covered all of the Panthers' postseason run. While his offense has been absent, the 33-year-old blueliner has racked up 55 hits, 25 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating over 23 playoff appearances. He's been a fixture in a third-pairing role, though that's not one that comes with much ice time given the talented defensemen on the Panthers' roster.
