The July 4th holiday resulted in no new signings across the NHL, so, today I thought I’d highlight the effects of the first four days of free agency on the Florida Panthers AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.
The Checkers have lost the services of the following veteran players that had two-way contracts with the Panthers: Rasmus Asplund, Jesse Puljujärvi, Kaapo Kähkönen, Matt Kiersted, Jayob Megna, Zac Dalpe and Will Lockwood.
Asplund originally signed as a free agent on a one-year, two-way contract with the Florida Panthers on July 5, 2023, and re-upped for another year the following season. During his two years with the Checkers he produced a total of 29 goals and 87 points in 130 regular season games. He went scoreless in six games with the Panthers this season. He appeared in all 18 games of Charlotte’s postseason run to the Calder Cup Finals, recording five goals and four assists. Asplund has signed a two-year contract with HC Davos of the Swiss National League.
Puljujärvi was key late season addition after having his contract terminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in early February. He signed a PTO with Charlotte on February 10, and after collecting three assists in seven games, was signed to a two-way deal for the remainder of the season by the Panthers. Puljujärvi produced five goals and 13 points in 22 regular season games with the Checkers, and appeared in five NHL tilts with the Cats, scoring a goal against the Buffalo Sabres on April 12. In the Calder Cup playoffs, Puljujärvi put up 11 points while appearing in all 18 games. He has signed a one-year contract with Geneve-Servette HC of the Swiss National League.
Like Puljujärvi, Kähkönen was acquired to help get the Checkers over the hump in the playoffs. The Panthers sent Chris Driedger to the Winnipeg Jets on March 5, bringing the 28-year-old Finn to the Queen City. Following the trade, Kähkönen went 8-4 in the regular season and started all 18 games in Charlotte’s deep playoff run, posting a 12-6 record, .906 save percentage, 2.18 GAA and one shutout. His stellar late season play resulted in a one-year, $1.15 million contract with the Montreal Canadiens.
The undrafted Kiersted signed a entry-level contract with the Cats on April 1, 2021 after playing four years at the University of North Dakota and promptly appeared in seven games with the club to close out the 2020-21 campaign. During his tenure with the organization he saw duty in 39 NHL games, including two this season, scoring twice and adding five assists. This past season was his best in the AHL, as he set career-highs with 28 assists and 29 points while posting a team-high plus-34 rating, another personal best . Kiersted collected 8 assists in 13 postseason games. The 27-year-old inked a two-year, two-way contract with the Minnesota Wild on July 2.
Megna was signed as unrestricted free agent on July 5, 2024 and acquitted himself quite well in his one season as a member of the organization. The 32-year-old played in 64 AHL games with the Checkers and finished with two goals and 14 assists while posting a plus-26 rating. He also made eight NHL appearances for the Panthers and was on the expanded playoff roster as an extra. Megna was signed to a two-year, $1.6 million contract with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Captain Dalpe spent four years in the Panthers organization and played a total of 15 games with the big club and another 191 in Charlotte. Unfortunately, his final season with the team saw him suit up for just nine games with the Checkers. He scored one goal and added two assists. He is currently without a contract.
After splitting his time between the Panthers (26 games) and Checkers (32) games in 2023-24, Lockwood spent the entirety of the past season in Charlotte, where he produced 21 points in 52 regular season games. He scored five times and added two assists in the playoffs. Like Dalpe, Lockwood has yet to find a new team.
In addition to the departure of those players, John Leonard, who was with the Checkers on an AHL contract, has moved on to the Detroit Red Wings, signing a one-year deal worth $775K on Wednesday. Leonard had quite the turn in Charlotte, ranking among the team leaders with 36 goals (1st), 25 assists (3th), 61 points (1st), a plus-21 rating (3rd), 10 power-play goals (1st), 24 power-play points (2nd), five shorthanded goals (1st), eight game-winning goals (1st), two overtime goals (Tied for 1st) and 252 shots (1st) in 72 regular season games. His eight goals and 14 points were tops on the team in the playoffs, as well.
Kyle Criscuolo, who was also on an AHL contract, is now an unrestricted free agent. Criscuolo and prospect Oliver Okuliar tied for second on the team with 19 regular season. Okuliar was qualified so the Panthers retained his rights, but he has returned to Europe to ply his trade with Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League.
To help plug those holes, general manager Bill Zito has re-signed forward MacKenzie Entwistle, who missed most of the past season, and inked unrestricted free agents forwards Jack Studnicka and Nolan Foote, as well as UFA goaltender Brandon Bussi. Defensemen Mike Benning and Tobias Björnfot, and forward Wilmer Skoog received qualifying offers and should return to the Checkers for the 2025-26 season.
Two lower-rung prospects who didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Panthers were defensemen Zachary Uens and Nathan Staios. Uens, a fourth-round pick in 2020, appeared in 65 ECHL games for the Savannah Ghost Pirates last season. The undrafted Staios played 35 games for the Ghost Pirates before he was assigned to Vimmerby HC of Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan on February 15. Savannah keeper Evan Cormier, who was signed on March 18, and served as Florida’s number three goalie in the playoffs, is also an unrestricted free agent.