The Florida Panthers have acquired goaltender Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights for a third-round pick in the 2028 NHL Entry Draft.
Schmid, 26, was 16-10-6 with a 2.59 goals-against average, .893 save percentage and two shutouts in 34 games this season for the Pacific Division-winning Golden Knights. He did not appear in a Stanley Cup Playoff game for Vegas, which lost in six games to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Final.
He also played for Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Italy.
Schmid was extended a qualifying offer by the Golden Knights on Monday, so the Panthers have his rights going forward.
Selected by the New Jersey Devils in the fifth round (136th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft, Schmid is 32-28-10 with a 2.66 GAA, .898 save percentage and three shutouts in 82 regular-season games (65 starts) for the Devils and Golden Knights. He is 4-4 with a 2.26 GAA, .924 save percentage and two shutouts in 10 playoff games (eight starts).
Free agent news
The Panthers have tendered qualifying offers to restricted free agent forward Ben Steeves and defensemen Tobias Björnfot and Mikulas Hovorka, maintaining the rights of those three players.
Forwards Cole Schwindt and Wilmer Skoog, and defensemen Donovan Sebrango, Mike Benning and Evan Nause did not receive offers and will become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday at noon.