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Bill Zito, General Manager of the Florida Panthers (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Panthers Can Move These 3 AHL Players at the Trade Deadline

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Mike Fink | Last updated Feb 9, 2025 9:45 AM ET

The Florida Panthers will buy at the trade deadline. That comes as no surprise to anyone who has followed this season. They have the best record in the Atlantic Division and after winning the Stanley Cup title last season, they will make a move or two to make another push for the Cup.

The good thing for the Panthers is that their American Hockey League (AHL) team, the Charlotte Checkers, is having a great season and has talented players from the top down. So, general manager (GM) Bill Zito can look to move one or two prospects to add at the deadline and get this team over the hump.

Wilmer Skoog

At 25 years old, Wilmer Skoog isn’t a prospect. It took him a while to develop. This season is only his second in the AHL, yet he’s made his mark as one of the best forwards on the Checkers. Last season, he scored 22 goals and he’s become a dynamic playmaker this season with 13 assists.

If Skoog wasn’t with the Panthers, a team with one of the best forward units in the league, he’d be in the NHL. For a team that wants to retool on the fly, Skoog is a great addition. He’s a middle six forward who can become an immediate contributor at the NHL level and it’s something teams will look for, especially if they are trading away a rental.

Michael Benning

Michael Benning is a young defenseman who can score. At 23, he’s become one of the Checkers’ best offensive weapons with three goals and 17 assists in only his second season in the AHL. He’s a smaller defenseman at 5-foot-9 and weighing 177 pounds but he can skate and move the puck up the ice.

Ideally, teams will want to see more from him on the defensive end of the ice but his skill makes him a player worth adding. Benning’s still developing and not ready to join the NHL yet, so that’s why the Panthers will want to move him. They are ready to win now and could send him to a team that is rebuilding.

Justin Sourdif

A talented young forward who can do it all. Justin Sourdif is 22 and still rounding out his game but it looks like he’s hitting his stride halfway through the 2024-25 season. He’s scored nine goals and 10 assists this season but has four goals and three assists in the last seven games, including a goal in a 3-0 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack on Feb. 7.

Sourdif is one of those skaters who is destined to join an NHL roster in a few seasons, if not by next season. The only question for the Panthers is if they want to keep him and allow him to make an impact on their roster or move him out by the deadline. If they choose to trade him, he’s a prospect who can land them a big piece at the trade deadline.

What Type of Trade the Panthers Might Make

The Panthers need a second pair defenseman and they’ll get one. They lost Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Brandon Montour in the offseason and the defense hasn’t been the same, even with Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad playing well. It’s why they’ll look for someone to round out the unit.

They can flip a prospect for a veteran defenseman, but expect them to group a few pieces together, especially if they are adding a defenseman like Mike Matheson or Bowen Byram. Those types of defensemen will require the Panthers to move one prospect and either a pick or another prospect to make a deal happen.

The Panthers are in their contending window and now is the time to make a deal happen. It’s why nothing should be put past Zito ahead of the trade deadline. The Panthers might not have the best prospect pool or a lot of pieces to convince sellers to trade away their stars, but that won’t stop Zito from pulling out all the stops to set this team up for another Cup run.