Panthers Sign Former Sharks Forward

Kunin played 63 of his 75 games last year with the San Jose Sharks, where he has played the last three seasons, two of which he was one of the club’s alternate captains. The Chesterfield, Missouri native posted 11 goals and seven assists.

San Jose dealt Kunin to the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2025 draft. Kunin finished the season with the Blue Jackets, recording zero points in 12 games.

The pending free agent headed into the offseason without any chatter of a new contract being ironed out and has been patiently scanning the waters for a bite. 

Florida’s decision to sign Kunin is a great move to add some depth to their roster, and while he hasn’t quite lived up to his draft stock (16th overall in the 2016 draft by the Minnesota Wild), his leadership qualities drew the attention of the Panthers.

Kunin was a steady, but by no means prolific, scorer during his pre-NHL career, while playing in the United States Hockey League and the United States National Team Development Program. However, his collegiate career, spanning two seasons, saw him record back-to-back 30-plus point seasons with the University of Wisconsin Badgers.

The Wild were encouraged by his scoring to take a flier on him in the first round, a move that never really worked out. He lasted three seasons in the Wild organization, split between Minnesota and Iowa, the club’s American Hockey League affiliate, before being traded to Nashville along with the 101st selection in the 2020 NHL Draft for veteran center Nick Bonino and the 37th and 70th overall selections in the same draft.

Kunin spent two seasons with the Predators before they shipped him to the Sharks for forward John Leonard and a 2023 third-round selection.

A journeyman of sorts, Kunin has long been revered for his steady two-way play and high character, which makes him a staple in the dressing room. He is also easy to play with because he goes to the dirty areas, rolls up his sleeves and battles hard for loose pucks and to maintain possession once he retrieves them.

The 27-year-old still has plenty of gas in the tank, and he conceivably found a fit where he can enter the team and serve as a depth piece that helps the Panthers try and win a third consecutive Stanley Cup, leveraging his hardworking game to make the Panthers even more difficult to match up with.