Panthers' Cole Schwindt, Nolan Foote Will Become Group 6 UFAs

When the 2025-26 NHL season ends, the Florida Panthers will have two Group 6 UFAs, center Cole Schwindt and winger Nolan Foote, according to PuckPedia.

To qualify as a Group 6 UFA, a player must be 25 years old by June 30, have an expiring contract, and a skater must have played less than 80 career NHL games, while a goaltender must play less than 28 games with more than 30 minutes of ice time.

Finally, they must have at least three professional seasons, which is any time spent in the NHL, AHL, or ECHL. 

For Schwindt, he’ll turn 25 years old on April 25, and even if he plays in the last game of the season, he’ll only hit 78 career games. Schwindt would have likely hit the 80-game threshold if he hadn’t sustained multiple long-term injuries this season.

As for Foote, he’s played just 41 career NHL games, scoring seven goals and 10 points. Foote has played just 11 games this year, scoring one goal. 

Foote joined the Panthers organization in the off-season, signing a two-way deal after spending five seasons with the New Jersey Devils. 

Due to Schwindt and Foote becoming UFAs, they’ll be free to sign with any NHL team on July 1, and the Panthers won’t receive any compensation for it, as they would if they were tendered qualifying offers as RFAs.

The Panthers coaching staff spoke highly of Schwindt throughout the season, and the only reason Schwindt was ever taken out of the lineup was due to injuries. The Panthers seem very inclined to bring back Schwindt on an NHL contract, while Foote could return on another two-way deal. 

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