The Florida Panthers signed unrestricted free agent depth forward Rasmus Asplund to a one-year, two-way contract that carries a $775K NHL salary and pays $400K at the minor league level.
The 25 year-old Asplund appeared in 46 games during the 2022-23 season with the Buffalo Sabres and Nashville Predators, producing a total of two goals and eight points, all with the Sabres.
Asplund was traded from Buffalo to Nashville in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on March 3, 2023. He went sc0reless in 19 games after the deal.
His final points of the campaign were two assists in the Sabres 6-0 win over the Los Angeles King on December 13, 2022.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound native of Filipstad, Sweden has appeared in 183 career NHL games, recording a total of 18 goals and 49 points.
He also has 111 games of experience in the American Hockey League amassing 62 points (13G/49A) all with the Rochester Americans (2018-19 to 2020-21).
Originally selected by Buffalo in the second round (33rd overall) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Apslund previously played for Färjestad BK of the Swedish Hockey League. On the international stage, he has represented his country in the 2022 World Championship, 2016 and 2017 World Junior Championship and at the 2015 U-18 World Championship.
Arbitration
Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Ilya Samsonov and recently-acquired Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi headline the list of 22 NHL players who have elected to file for salary arbitration.
The arbitration hearings will be scheduled from July 20 to August 4.
Florida had two players, Aleksi Heponiemi and Logan Hutsko, who were eligible for arbitration, but chose not to file.
Here is the full list, as per the NHLPA:
- Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins)
- Trent Frederic (Boston Bruins)
- Ian Mitchell (Boston Bruins)
- Tanner Jeannot (Tampa Bay Lightning)
- Ilya Samsonov (Toronto Maple Leafs)
- Brandon Scanlin (New York Rangers)
- Noah Cates (Philadelphia Flyers)
- Drew O’Connor (Pittsburgh Penguins)
- Troy Terry (Anaheim Ducks)
- Jack McBain (Arizona Coyotes)
- Philipp Kurashev (Chicago Blackhawks)
- Ross Colton (Colorado Avalanche)
- Ryan McLeod (Edmonton Oilers)
- Brandon Duhaime (Minnesota Wild)
- Filip Gustavsson (Minnesota Wild)
- Alexei Toropchenko (St. Louis Blues)
- Vince Dunn (Seattle Kraken)
- Cale Fleury (Seattle Kraken)
- Will Borgen (Seattle Kraken)
- Brett Howden (Vegas Golden Knights)
- Gabriel Vilardi (Winnipeg Jets)
- Morgan Barron (Winnipeg Jets)