With the NHL trade deadline fast approaching, the Florida Panthers shored up its goaltending depth by acquiring pending unrestricted free agent Vitek Vanecek from the San Jose Sharks.
General manager Bill Zito did really well here, landing the 29-year-old keeper for the low cost of AHL forward Patrick Giles, who played nine early season games with the Cats before he was sent to Charlotte.
Giles scored five goals and added two assists in 39 games with the Checkers.
Vanecek went 3-10-3 with a 3.88 GAA and .882 save percentage in 18 appearances for the lowly Sharks this season.
In addition to tending the net for San Jose, he has also spent time with the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals.
A second-round pick (39th overall) of the Capitals in 2014, Vanecek has 181 games of NHL experience and 94 wins to his credit. He gives the Panthers a third option behind Sergei Bobrovsky and Chris Driedger after Spencer Knight was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
The Panthers also signed Charlotte Checkers forward Jesse Puljujärvi to a two-way NHL deal for the rest of the season.
Puljujärvi, who will need to clear waivers, collected three assists in seven games with the Checkers after having his contract terminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in early February.