The 26-year-old was placed on waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday for the purpose of buying out the final three seasons of his contract. He signed a six-year contract with Columbus on Sept. 1, 2017.
"Yeah it's something else for sure," Wennberg said Saturday. "I didn't know about getting bought out before like the first of October, so it happened pretty quick and just to take the whole thing in, like you're getting bought out, a new team, new situation, going to free agency, it's a roller coaster for sure. I'm also really excited for it. For me it felt like I need a new place, someone who wants to believe in me, wants me to play that type of way and looking at Florida right there, I couldn't find a better option right there. ... it's crazy but right now with everything that happened I'm so psyched about it. I'm so excited for it to get started."
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Wennberg scored 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) in 57 regular-season games and five points (three goals, two assists) in 10 postseason games last season. His points have declined each season since he scored an NHL career-high 59 points (13 goals, 46 assists) in 2016-17.
"I mean for me, I feel like I have a lot more to bring," Wennberg said. "The last couple of years have been a couple of down years for me. ... But I feel like I have the potential to be better and also help the organization, team, that wants me. And if they believe in me, I can really play to my strength. That's pretty much Florida right there. I feel like this is a great opportunity for me, a great opportunity for them as well to -- I feel like it could be a really good fit. Right now it's a lot of things happening and it's a lot of emotions, but I feel like for me personally and hockey-wise, this is the place I want to be."
Selected by the Blue Jackets with the No. 14 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, Wennberg has scored 201 points (40 goals, 161 assists) in 415 regular-season games and eight points (four goals, four assists) in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
"Alex Wennberg is obviously a guy I'm familiar with who can play center and wing and he can play in a couple of different roles," said Panthers general manager Bill Zito, who was the Blue Jackets assistant GM before being hired by Florida. "He can kill penalties. He's a very smart, cerebral player. He can be netfront on a power play. He can be on the side wall on a power play. He's a guy who is excited about trying to, I wouldn't say reinvent himself but jump-start himself."
The Panthers also agreed to terms on a two-year contract with forward
Carter Verhaeghe
and forward
Vinnie Hinostroza
on a one-year contract.
Verhaeghe, 25, scored 13 points (nine goals, four assists) in 52 regular-season games and had two assists in eight postseason games to help the Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup last season.
"Carter Verhaeghe is a guy now with a Stanley Cup pedigree who can play up and down the lineup with some upside," Zito said. "That was something that we targeted ... looking for sort of younger talent who might have some upside, might be buried, might be behind opportunities on the clubs they were on and is a guy we're real excited about seeing exactly what he can do and maybe providing some opportunity here to grow."
Hinostroza, 26, scored 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) in 68 regular-season games and had two assists in seven postseason games for the Arizona Coyotes last season.
NHL.com staff writer Amalie Benjamin contributed to this report
