FLORIDA PANTHERS
Key moves: Signed defensemen Keith Yandle (7 years, $44.45 million) and Jason Demers (5 years, $22.5 million), and goalie James Reimer (5 years, $17.5 million); re-signed defenseman Aaron Ekblad (8 year extension, $60 million), forwards Vincent Trocheck (6 years, $28.5 million) and Reilly Smith (5 years, $25 million); acquired defenseman Mark Pysyk in a trade from the Buffalo Sabres (for defenseman Dmitry Kulikov).
The Panthers decided spending on the blue line was the way to go. Starting next season, when Ekblad's new contract begins, Ekblad, Yandle and Demers will cost Florida $18.35 million against the NHL salary cap. Florida's power play, which has struggled for the past three seasons, should be better with Yandle at the point. The addition of Reimer not only buys time for Roberto Luongo to heal from offseason hip surgery, it gives Florida the ability to reduce the workload of the 37-year-old when he returns. Trocheck is a big part of the center depth along with Aleksander Barkov and Nick Bjugstad. They each have a long-term contract.
No. 1 on the to-do list: Sign forward Jonathan Huberdeau to a contract extension, if they plan on having him as a big part of their future too.