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‘Happy with the players we’ve been able to acquire’: Petrovic signs in yet another Panthers reunion
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- ‘Happy with the players we’ve been able to acquire’: Petrovic signs in yet another Panthers reunion
July 1 is circled on the calendars of every NHL team's front office.
Marking the beginning of free agency, the day is full of shifts, signings and extensions, and this year was no different. While the days leading up to it had been far from uneventful for the Florida Panthers , signing two goalies — Jacob Markstrom and Akira Schmid — acquiring the rights to Radko Gudas and trading for forward Brady Tkachuk , the Panthers weren't done when the free agency doors blew open.
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"A lot of talent was available today," general manager Bill Zito said to reporters Wednesday afternoon. "We feel really, really happy with the players we've been able to acquire to fill the needs that we have."
By 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Florida had signed Gudas to a six-year deal , agreed to an extension with Eetu Luostarinen and agreed to two two-year contracts.
The organization agreed to terms with forward Cole Schwindt on a two-year contract, and then did the same by bringing back defenseman Alexander Petrovic .
"Alex is a stalwart shutdown defenseman who brings size and depth to our blueline," Zito had said in a press release. "We are excited to welcome him back to our organization."
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Petrovic is yet another former Panther the organization has brought back to South Florida. The 34-year-old was initially drafted by Florida in 2010, and he spent the 2012-13 season through the start of the 2018-19 season with the club before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers .
He skated in 254 games with the Panthers, and his most productive season came in his 2015-16 campaign when he logged 17 points in 66 games and boasted a plus-17 plus/minus.
He had not seen much action since then, up until last season with the Dallas Stars . He played 54 games for the Stars and accumulated 10 points in 2025-26. This was a massive jump after playing a combined six games in the two seasons prior.
He joins Markstrom and Gudas as former Panthers who are back on board for the 2026-27 season.
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The team also agreed to terms with Schwindt on a two-year contract.
Schwindt has spent much of his time in the AHL, skating in 218 games. For Florida last season, he played in 29 games, adding seven points.
Last season, he returned to Florida after he was initially drafted by the franchise in 2019. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound forward played his first season with the Panthers in 2021-22 before being sent to the Calgary Flames as part of the Matthew Tkachuk trade.
His new contract will begin with this season as he embarks on his third (and second consecutive) season with Florida.
"He's a really hard-working guy," Zito said Wednesday afternoon. "You don't know who the next guy to get the chance is. He's working his tail off, and he's one of those guys who's trying to be as ready as he can."
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Zito added that the club also signed two more free agents, inking Lars Eller and defenseman Donovan Sebrango to one-year deals. Sebrango spent the majority of last season, the third of his career, in South Florida, playing in 40 games for Florida and adding eight assists.
Meanwhile, Eller is a seasoned veteran and has bounced around the league since his first season in 2009. Last season with the Ottawa Senators , he notched five goals and 10 assists in 68 games.
Also announced was defenseman Tobias Bjornfot and center Sam Lafferty each agreeing to one-year, two-way contracts.
Bjornfot, 25, skated in 19 games with Florida in 2025-26, recording four points (2-2-4). He produced his first career multi-goal NHL game on Jan. 25 at Chicago .
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Lafferty, 31, competed in 29 games with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2025-26, recording two points (1-1-2). He also represented the United States at the 2026 IIHF World Championship, skating in seven tournament games.
They also agreed to terms with forwards Bokondji Imama and John Beecher on one-year, two-way contracts.
With the pickups and the team he has set in place so far, Zito exuded confidence for the upcoming season. He said after a dip in morale last season, he feels like the energy in the building is back.
"The spirit, the feeling, that intangible sort of environmental feeling that, yeah, it's on," Zito said. "The boys are back, everybody's ready to go."
