The Florida Panthers have struck and struck in a big way in advance of Monday’s trade deadline.
General Manager Dale Tallon completed three separate trades today, adding forwards Jiri Hudler and Teddy Purcell along with defenseman Jakub Kindl to fill in holes and bolster the club’s depth as the Cats aim to hold off Tampa Bay and Boston in the race for the Atlantic Division crown in addition to making a lengthy playoff run.
Florida sent its second-round selection in 2016 and a fourth-round pick in 2018 to the Calgary Flames for Hudler. The 32-year-old has 10 goals and 25 assists in 53 games this season. The veteran forward will become a UFA this summer.
After acquiring Hudler from the Flames, Tallon picked up Purcell from the Edmonton Oilers for a third-round pick in 2016 and Kindl from the Detroit Red Wings for a sixth-round selection in 2017.
Purcell has scored 11 goals and added 21 assists in 61 games with the struggling Oilers this season, so a change of scenery could benefit the 30-year-old winger greatly. Purcell has 7 postseason goals, in 22 games, to his credit.
Kindl adds veteran depth to the blue line in case of injury. The 29-year-old Czech has 273 games of NHL experience to his credit and has split time between Detroit and Grand Rapids this season.
These moves show the Panthers mean business and the fact that the club was able to acquire all three players without losing a player off the roster or any of its prize prospects is a huge plus.