The Florida Panthers Avoid Arbitration With Schmid

Florida’s final outstanding contract negotiation finally came to a close on Friday as they were able to reach a deal with incoming goalie Akira Schmid. A 2×2 deal locks up the Panthers’ goaltending tandem for this season and next, as Markstrom only has 2 years remaining on his deal. Bill Zito said at his free agency press conference that he was confident that getting a deal done with Schmid wouldn’t be a problem. The contract leaves the Cats with $34,286 in cap space; PuckPedia shows Vilmanis’ contract down with the non-roster forwards. The arbitration hearing was set for August 1st.

On Schmid, Zito said, “We are excited to sign Akira for the next two seasons in South Florida. He has the size, athleticism, and competitive drive that fits the identity of the Florida Panthers, and we’re looking forward to watching him succeed with our group.” Last year, Schmid played with the Vegas Golden Knights and appeared in 34 games. He went 16-10-6 and had a 2.59 GAA. Comparatively, Tarasov last season started 33 games and went 13-15-3 with a 3.05 GAA. But save percentage-wise, they’re very similar. Tarasov had a .895 SV% while Schmid had an .893 SV%; Daniil saw 37 more shots against than Akira did. The numbers may not fully tell what Tarasov’s potential really is because of how injured the team in front of him was for most of the season. But there were plenty of nights where Daniil was the best Panther on the ice

Schmid fits Florida’s preference when looking for goalies. He’s tall at 6’5 and just under 200 lbs. Akira comes into the organization with Stanley Cup Playoff experience. He’s played in 10 playoff games with a record of 4-4, a 2.26 GAA, a .924 SV%, and two shutouts. That gives him the 2nd highest save percentage and 4th lowest goals against average among goalies who have played at least 10 playoff games since 2022-2023. Both of his shutout games were against the New York Rangers in his rookie season with the New Jersey Devils, where he became the 5th rookie goalie in NHL history to post a shutout in a Game 7. Akira is no stranger to big international stages either. He was part of Team Switzerland at the 2026 Olympics and earned a silver medal at the 2024 IIHF World Championships. Over the three games he played at the 2024 Worlds, he went 3-0-0 with a .946 SV% and a .86 GAA. Now with Schmid signed, Florida’s roster is set for the fall.