Florida receiving forward Steven Lorentz in exchange for Duclair
The Florida Panthers made several additions on the first day of free agency, but just as the sun began to set in South Florida, a substantial trade was made.
Florida General Manager Bill Zito has traded Anthony Duclair, one of the first players he signed after being hired by the Panthers, to the San Jose Sharks.
Coming back to Florida in the deal is forward Steven Lorentz, which was first reported by Shayna Goldman of The Athletic. The Panthers will also receive a fifth-round pick in 2025.
The 27-year-old seventh round pick of Carolina in 2015 has three years of NHL experience under his belt.
Last season with San Jose, Lorentz played 80 games and finished with 10 goals and 19 points.
He saw some time on the power play in San Jose, was solid shorthanded and can take faceoffs, but perhaps the biggest attribute to his game is his physicality. The 6-foot-4, 206 pound forward laid out 133 hits, leading all Sharks players.
"We're excited to welcome Steven to the Panthers," said Zito. "This move gives us long-term flexibility for our club, while also addressing needs of size, speed and depth for our forward group."
Lorentz is entering the final year of his contract, which pays an average annual value (AAV) of $1.05 million.
Duclair will be 28 when next season begins.
The 2013 third-round pick has played nine seasons in the NHL, including the past three with Florida.
"A great ambassador for the sport of hockey, we would like to thank Anthony for his contributions to the Panthers organization and in the South Florida community," said Zito.
He’s got one year remaining on his current contract, which carries an AAV of $3 million.
The trade clears just under $2 million of cap space for Florida. We'll see what they choose to do with it.