Key departures
Brandon Montour, D: The 30-year-old spent the past four seasons with the Panthers and was the quarterback of Florida’s top power-play unit for much of the past two seasons. He had 33 points (eight goals, 25 assists) in 66 games last season, and signed a seven-year, $50 million contract with the Seattle Kraken on July 1. … Vladimir Tarasenko, F: The 32-year-old had 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 19 regular-season games with Florida after coming over in a trade with the Ottawa Senators on March 6. He signed a two-year, $9.5 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings on July 3. ... Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D: After one season in Florida, the 33-year-old signed a four-year, $14 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1. Ekman-Larsson filled in for an injured Montour on the top defensive pair at the start of the season but moved to the third pair upon his return. His nine goals and 32 points in 80 games were the most he had produced since the 2018-19 season with the Arizona Coyotes. … Anthony Stolarz, G: The 30-year-old, who signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the Maple Leafs on July 2, had a stellar season backing up Sergei Bobrovsky, posting a .925 save percentage and 2.03 goals-against average in 27 regular-season games (24 starts), which ranked second in the League among goalies who played at least 20 games. … Kevin Stenlund, F: Florida’s fourth-line center for much of the season, Stenlund was also one of the team’s top penalty killers. The 27-year-old, who had 15 points (11 goals, four assists) in 81 games last season, signed a two-year contract with the Utah Hockey Club on July 1. … Ryan Lomberg, F: A fan favorite since joining the Panthers in 2021, the 29-year-old had seven points (five goals, two assists) in 75 games last season. Lomberg signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Calgary Flames on July 1.
