Panthers find plenty of puzzle pieces on opening day of NHL free agency

SUNRISE, Fla. - Even with their backs pressed up against the salary cap, the Panthers still managed to accomplish a lot on the first day of the NHL's free agency period on Wednesday.
Rather than making a big splash, the day was centered around smaller shrewd moves.
"We think we got done what we set out to do," Panthers General Manager Bill Zito from FLA Live Arena. "We didn't have a lot of cap space, but we tried to be as prudent and efficient [as possible] based on what we had. We're pretty excited about the players that are coming in."

Filling various holes up and down the lineup heading into 2022-23, Zito and his staff identified five enticing players that were available on the open market: forwards Colin White and Nick Cousins, defensemen Anthony Bitetto and Marc Staal, and goaltender Alex Lyon.
"I think that each one of these players brings a unique skillset," Zito said. "Individually we thought they were pieces that could fit into our puzzle. We're pretty pleased with the players that are coming in. They're going to enhance the group that we have and flourish here."
White is a player that seems to fit the mold of players like Anthony Duclair and Sam Bennett. A first-round pick of the Senators back in 2015, he recorded a career-high 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) in 71 games in 2018-19, but has not produced over 30 points in a season since then.
Still only just beginning to sniff his prime at 25 years old, White, who has the ability to play both at center and on the wing, should have a great opportunity to rediscover his scoring touch with the Panthers - much like Duclair and Bennett have done - on a one-year deal this campaign.
"We just sort of looked at a player that had a certain skillset," Zito said. "Whitey is the kind of guy that can play wing and play center. It gives us utility across the board in the lineup. Yeah, come on in, play hockey, work hard and hopefully it's a good fit."
A veteran of more than 400 games in the NHL, Cousins is the type of player every team wants in their bottom-six. Inked to a two-year contract, the 28-year-old can both agitate and execute all over the ice, particularly in the defensive zone. In 68 games with the Predators last season, he recorded 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists), and also appeared in three games in the playoffs.
"He's a guy that when you play against him, you notice him and you don't like him sometimes," Zito said with a grin. "He's a guy with sandpaper that can play both center and wing. There's flexibility in his game with what he brings. High energy, high tempo. We think he'll fit right in."
Taking aim at their back end, the Panthers first locked down Bitetto on a one-year, two-way contract. A veteran of 197 career NHL games, the 31-year-old blueliner has a reputation for playing with a hardy edge on the ice while being easily one of the league's nicest guys off of it.
Last suiting up in the NHL in 2020-21 with the Rangers, Bitetto skated in 53 games in the AHL between the San Jose and Hartford this past season, notching 17 points (six goals, 11 assists).
"He's a guy who's pretty well known around the league for having a wonderful personality, and he also plays a hard game," Zito said. "It's an element to our D corps that we think he can contribute and bring something to."
Throwing even more experience into the mix, the Panthers also brought in a grizzled veteran in Staal. A veteran of 1,019 career NHL games, the 35-year-old has amassed 214 points (49 goals, 165 assists) over 15 seasons between the Rangers and Red Wings. This past season in Detroit, he registered 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) while averaging 17:25 of ice time over 71 games.
"In Marc we saw a veteran guy who logged reasonable minutes last year for a veteran player," Zito said. "He's smart. He can lend both an on-ice presence to our team and be a leader to our D corps. There's a lot of positives surrounding Marc."
Rounding out their shopping spree, the Panthers added a solid No. 3 goaltender.
Inked to a one-year, two-way contract, Lyon appeared in 30 games with Carolina's AHL affiliate this past season, registering a 18-7-3 record with a 2.16 goals-against average and .912 save percentage. On the heels of that outstanding regular season, the 29-year-old then helped the Wolves capture the Calder Cup with a 9-3 record and .923 save percentage in the playoffs.
Between the pipes for two games in the NHL with the Hurricanes in 2021-22 - including one start again the Panthers - Lyon recorded a 1-0-1 record on top of a .908 save percentage.
"[Injuries] can happen at any time," said Zito, citing the importance of depth in net. "It's quite important to have a solid, viable goalie not only in Charlotte but to come up here and to help."
As for the victims of Florida's cap crunch - players such as Claude Giroux, Mason Marchment and Ben Chiarot - who got well-deserved paydays elsewhere in free agency, Zito said the team tried to come up with solutions to free up space "daily, if not hourly" to no avail.
Additionally, Noel Acciari, Maxim Mamin and Markus Nutivaara signed with other clubs.
"It's really difficult," Zito said. "Of course, they're people first. You get to know people. Mason is a guy that we can't thank enough for everything he's done for us. We don't have the cap space.
"A lot of times you're limited by the rules and what you have. We wish [Marchment] nothing but the best of luck, same as G [Giroux], Benny [Chiarot], and the other players that are exiting. It's hard. It's a hard thing to do. It's a part of life in the National Hockey League, but it's never easy."
Like they always say, hockey, first and foremost, is a business.
But even with the changes the roster has undergone within the last 24 hours, the Panthers still boast one of the best rosters in the NHL, a group that includes the likes of Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Aaron Ekblad, MacKenzie Weegar, Carter Verhaeghe and many others.
As for Huberdeau and Weegar, who are set to become unrestricted free agents next summer and are currently able to sign extensions with Florida, Zito said that he's spoken to the agents for each player and that conversations remain ongoing throughout the rest of the offseason.
"The business here is sort of a progression," Zito said. "We've got to take care of the situation at hand and keep moving forward. We've started the process and look forward to continuing talks."
Possibly not done yet, the Panthers could continue to be movers and shakers.
"We'll always keep looking and stay open minded every day to improve our team," Zito said.