What happened: The Florida Panthers reshaped their roster through a flurry of trades, headlined by the acquisition of goaltenders Jacob Markstrom from the New Jersey Devils and Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights. Markstrom, a former Florida draft pick, returns alongside forward Angus Crookshank, with Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and Ben Steeves going to New Jersey. The moves close the door on longtime netminder Sergei Bobrovsky and follow the earlier addition of gritty forward Garnet Hathaway from the Philadelphia Flyers.
Why it matters: Overhauling both goaltending vacancies in a single stretch signals a hard reset in the crease for a team built to contend. Pairing that with the earlier arrival of Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa and the added grit of Hathaway reshapes Florida's depth and identity heading into the 2026-27 season. Moving on from Bobrovsky marks the end of an era for a goaltender long tied to the franchise's recent run.
By the numbers: The Markstrom package sent Rodrigues, Boqvist and Steeves to New Jersey in exchange for the netminder and Crookshank. Florida also acquired the rights to Radko Gudas from the Anaheim Ducks.
What to watch: Watch how the Markstrom-Schmid tandem is structured and whether Florida makes additional depth moves before the 2026-27 season opens.