Florida Panthers News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Nico Sturm, Florida Panthers (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

Panthers Improve Bottom Six With Nico Sturm Trade

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Joey Ganzi | Last updated Mar 12, 2025 8:45 AM ET

The Florida Panthers are fighting for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. They hold the lead in the division with a record of 40-21-3 and 83 points.

This past Friday at 3 pm EST was the NHL trade deadline, and general manager Bill Zito was already working the phones after placing forward Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve. He’s already made a couple of big moves by acquiring Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a 2027 first-round pick and goaltender Spencer Knight. Additionally, he shocked the hockey world by trading a conditional second-round pick to the Boston Bruins to grab their captain, forward Brad Marchand.

But he was working before that. On March 6, the Panthers acquired San Jose Sharks forward Nico Sturm, along with a 2027 seventh-round pick, for a 2026 fourth-round pick. The move solidifies the bottom-six forward grouping for head coach Paul Maurice and gives him extra depth for the playoffs.

Sturm’s NHL Resume

Sturm entered the NHL undrafted by signing with the Minnesota Wild in the 2018-19 season. He only played two games in his first season but became a key player on the team’s fourth line in the halted 2019-20 season. He would play a total of 111 games while scoring 20 goals and tallying 16 assists with the Wild before being dealt to the Colorado Avalanche in the second half of the 2021-22 season for Tyson Jost. That postseason, he was featured in 13 games as he helped the Avalanche win their first Stanley Cup since 2001.

The following offseason, he signed with the Sharks. In his time as a Shark, he piled up 26 goals and 26 assists. In his career, he’s found the back of the net 46 times while helping 45 others. In the playoffs across the Wild and Avalanche, he scored twice and was credited with three assists. He comes to the Panthers bringing valuable experience.

Sturm’s Presence Immediately Helps the Panthers in the Faceoff Circle

One of the big pluses Sturm brings to the lineup is his dominance in the faceoff dot. In his last two seasons with the Sharks, he’s had a faceoff win percentage (FO%) over 60%, with his most recent being a high 62.7% before being traded.

Combine that with the faceoff dominance of his new captain, Aleksander Barkov, and opposing centers in the postseason are going to have their hands full with winning draws.

This Also Includes the Penalty Kill

Being good at faceoffs is also a huge boost for the team’s penalty kill. The Panthers are currently tied for tenth in the NHL on the penalty kill with an 80.1% kill rate. Furthermore, they are second in the league in shorthanded goals with 12, with forward Sam Reinhart leading all players with five.

Factor that in with Sturm, and this is a combination that could get the kill to higher points. Special teams will be crucial down the stretch, and it is vastly improved with Sturm added to the lineup.

Bill Zito Works His Magic Once Again

Zito once again works his magic and gets a huge piece ahead of the deadline. All this shows he’s trying to keep the team at a Cup championship level now.

Depth is a huge factor in keeping a team competitive and winning championships. With the injury to Tkachuk and the suspension of defenseman Aaron Ekblad, the trades he made will give them some comfort until the playoffs begin. With only 18 games left to play in the regular season, the focus is to finish with a high seed and get ready for the brutal NHL postseason.