Bill Zito is hunting for a veteran starter in goal to anchor Florida’s defensive system, pivoting toward high-profile trade targets like Jacob Markstrom and Darcy Kuemper to fill the void.
The biggest question, or questions, surrounding the Florida Panthers following the NHL Draft has been their two vacancies at the goaltending position.
Late Monday night, Florida addressed one of those spots, acquiring Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a 2028 third-round pick.
The 26-year-old is a restricted free agent, so Florida still needs to negotiate a new deal with him, but he fits in the mold of the team’s recent goaltending targets, measuring in at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds.
“Akira is a talented and athletic goaltender who has shown poise in high-pressure moments,” Panthers GM Bill Zito said in a statement released by the team. “We are excited to welcome him to our organization.”
Florida has done well in recent years targeting netminders who would find success when playing behind the Cats’ physical, defensive systems.
It helps to have a Goaltending Excellence Department led by a Hall of Fame goalie in Roberto Luongo.
But the work for Zito and Luongo is not done.
Florida is still in the market for a starting goalie, and it continues to sound like they will address that need via the trade market.
There are a pair of veteran goaltenders who fit Florida’s size appeal who they have looked into, according to a source. They are New Jersey Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom and Los Angeles Kings tendy Darcy Kuemper.
Markstrom, 36, has two years remaining on his current deal that carries an average annual value (AAV) of $6 million, while Kuemper, also 36, is entering the final year of his deal that pays a $5.25 AAV, according to PuckPedia.
Additionally, Markstrom’s contract carries a 20-team no-trade list while Kuemper’s carries a 10-team no-trade list.
Either way, the Panthers will have to come up with a package to extract their goalie of choice if that’s the path they choose, while still making the financials work under the cap.
It will also be interesting to see what kind of price a goalie of either of their caliber and experience would demand after seeing Schmid cost the Cats a third-rounder.
There are still still a plethora of goaltending options in free agency, and the Panthers have done their due diligence on several of the pending free agents.
As it stands, though, it sounds like the team’s desired route is the trade market.
We’ll see how things continue to develop as we get close to July 1.
Stay tuned.
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Photo caption: Apr 5, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New Jersey Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom (25) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)
