Former San Jose Sharks forward Luke Kunin has signed a one-year contract with the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers [http://thn.com/florida]. Kunin joined the Sharks for the 2022-23 season after a stint with the Nashville Predators. He spent two and a half seasons in the Bay Area before general manager Mike Grier traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets ahead of the trade deadline this past March. In return, the Sharks acquired a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, which was then used to select Russian defenseman Ilyas Magomedsultanov. During Kunin’s time with the Sharks, he played a total of 171 games, the longest stint with a single team so far in his career. His offensive production did take a hit in San Jose, recording just 49 points in that time frame. He quickly became a part of the leadership group, though, being named as an alternate captain ahead of the 2023-24 season and retaining that role for the 2024-25 season. After leaving the Sharks, Kunin struggled mightily in Columbus, failing to record a point in 12 games and ultimately becoming a health scratch for their head coach, Dean Evason. With that being said, if any team will help Kunin find his game again, it would be the Panthers.
