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Florida Panthers Unexpectedly Sign Feared Enforcer in Free Agency

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Jack Sutherland | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 7:50 PM ET

The Florida Panthers, who are the 2x defending Stanley Cup champions, have signed former Minnesota Wild 1st round Draft pick and UFA forward Luke Kunin to a 1 year contract.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers have added some sandpaper to their team with the signing of former Minnesota Wild 1st round Draft pick Luke Kunin.

Known for his toughness , Kunin agreed to join the Panthers and has signed a 1 year contract after splitting last year between the basement-dwelling San Jose Sharks before being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Panthers GM Bill Zito released a statement after the deal was signed praising the leadership abilities that Kunin can bring to Florida.

Luke is a physical and highly competitive forward who possesses excellent leadership abilities and strong character.

Last year, Kunin had 18 points (11G, 7A).

Luke Kunin is the newest Florida Panthers forward

Kunin was taken by the Minnesota Wild with the 15th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft while playing for the University of Wisconsin Badgers, where he was the 1st sophomore in over 40 years to be captain.

His best offensive output was 31 points (15G, 16A) with the Wild in 2019-20, but he was later traded to the Nashville Predators for former Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup champion Nick Bonino.

As an RFA in 2022, he was traded from the Predators to the San Jose Sharks, who named him an alternate captain for last season's road games until he was traded to the Blue Jackets in March.

He has 142 points (73G, 69A) in 434 career NHL games along with 886 hits.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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