Panthers Re-Sign Patrick Giles, Matt Kiersted
The Panthers have re-upped minor-league forward Patrick Giles on a two-year, two-way deal, per a team announcement. It pays him $775K NHL/$100K AHL ($132.5K guaranteed) in 2024-25 with a minor pay bump to $775K NHL/$150K AHL ($180K guaranteed) in 2025-26, PuckPedia reports. He was slated to become an RFA with arbitration rights on July 1. They’ve also extended defenseman Matt Kiersted on a one-year, two-way pact, keeping their lips sealed on cap figures for that one.
Giles, 24, first found his way into the Panthers organization after wrapping up a four-year career at Boston College, inking an amateur tryout with AHL Charlotte to end the 2021-22 campaign. He earned an invite to Panthers training camp the following fall, earning an entry-level contract in the process.
The big-bodied 6’4″ forward can play both center and right-wing and has been a serviceable bottom-six piece in Charlotte the last two years, scoring 16 goals and 21 assists for 37 points in 148 showings for the Checkers. The Maryland native may not have much of an NHL future ahead of him, but he’s a good energy presence to help insulate Florida’s more promising up-and-comers. Assuming he plays fewer than 80 NHL games over the life of his extension, he’ll hit UFA status early via a Group VI exception in 2026.
Like Giles, Kiersted was an undrafted free-agent signing out of college, but he didn’t need to wait until the fall to land his first NHL deal. Florida added him to the roster immediately after he wrapped up his senior season with the University of North Dakota in 2021. Now 26, he was expected to challenge for major-league time after being named to the NCHC’s First All-Star Team in his final season with the Fighting Hawks, but he hasn’t managed to stick around.
Kiersted has spent most of the past three seasons in Charlotte, where he has 56 points in 169 career games with a +23 rating. He’s developed into a top-four fixture there, but 2023-24 was his first season without NHL time since turning pro. Kiersted did play in 37 NHL games between the 2020-21 and 2022-23 campaigns, recording two goals, six assists and a -8 rating while averaging a paltry 11:59 per game. His one-year extension walks him to UFA status next summer.
Panthers Recall Seven Players Ahead Of Round Two
The Florida Panthers have built out their list of black aces, recalling seven players ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs’ second round. The full list of call-ups includes forwards Mackie Samoskevich, William Lockwood, Justin Sourdif, and Rasmus Asplund; defenders Matt Kiersted and Mike Benning; and goaltender Magnus Hellberg, per Colby Guy (Twitter link). The group will join Spencer Knight, who was recalled on Thursday, and defenders Uvis Balinskis, Josh Mahura, and Tobias Bjornfot as Florida’s extra players.
This roster move gives Florida a chance to flex just how deep their roster goes, with each of Samoskevich, Lockwood, and Sourdif slotting into Florida’s lineup at some point this season, and six of the seven recalls boasting NHL experience. While none of the sextet has managed much NHL scoring, their experience could prove invaluable down the stretch. Samoskevich and Asplund provide a burst of speed and technical skill, while Sourdif and Lockwood should bring grit and physicality that’s always much-needed in the postseason. Meanwhile, both Kiersted and Benning offer a rangy, off-puck defense, with Benning adding strong puck-moving skills. Both defenders will slot behind the stockier Balinskis but should provide a stout, bottom-pair impact if called upon.
Florida is in a rare spot for a playoff team, only facing one injury and one illness to forwards Sam Bennett and Ryan Lomberg respectively. Head coach Paul Maurice shared that Bennett should return to the lineup at some point during the second round, though he remains ruled out for Game 1. Steven Lorentz has stepped up in Bennett’s absence, recording two points in four postseason games. Florida could turn towards Asplund for a depth centerman role if they’re looking for a spark, though it doesn’t seem any lineup changes are incoming after the Panthers’ emphatic Round 1 win.
Florida Panthers Recall Ten Players
4:00 PM: The Panthers have officially announced the recalls, and added one name that wasn’t included in Richards’ report: goaltender Evan Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick, 25, is a 2016 second-round pick who played in 17 games with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades and posted an 11-3-1 record and .921 save percentage in those games. Fitzpatrick saw action in one AHL game this season, stopping 23 of 25 shots in an April 1st overtime loss to the Springfield Thunderbirds. With Guzda, Lyon, and Bobrovsky ahead of him on the depth chart something would have to go quite wrong for him to see time in these playoffs, so this recall is more about adding some depth to the team than anything else.
10:37 AM: The Florida Panthers have brought up their complement of Black Aces for the remainder of the playoffs today ahead of Game 3 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Per Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards, the following players have been brought up from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers:
F Connor Bunnaman
F Grigori Denisenko
F Patrick Giles
F Aleksi Heponiemi
D Lucas Carlsson
D Matt Kiersted
D Santtu Kinnunen
D John Ludvig
D Calle Själin
G Mack Guzda
The recalls come after the Hershey Bears eliminated Charlotte from the Calder Cup Playoffs on May 4, taking their Atlantic Division semifinal series by a count of 3-1.
The two most intriguing names on this list are Denisenko and Heponiemi, both previously highly-touted prospects that have yet to make a notable NHL impact. Denisenko struggled in the minors this year and posted no points and a -1 rating in four playoff games for Charlotte. The 24-year-old Heponiemi, however, led the team with seven points in seven playoff games.
One name that Panthers fans will definitely recognize is Carlsson, who dropped back into an AHL role this season after appearing in 40 games for Florida during 2021-22. Carlsson was one of the best defenders in the AHL this season, recording 54 points in 61 games along with a +24 rating. He’s one of the more dependable recall options for Florida should injuries pop up among their defensemen.
The 24-year-old Kinnunen is also a name to watch for in the coming years. A seventh-round pick of the Panthers in 2018, Kinnunen broke out for 35 points in 69 regular-season games and six points in seven playoff games for Charlotte during his first season in North America.
Florida Panthers Loan Matt Kiersted To AHL
The Florida Panthers have loaned defenseman Matt Kiersted to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. This move comes just after the team claimed another blueliner, Casey Fitzgerald, off of waivers.
The Panthers needed to clear space on their roster to fit Fitzgerald into the mix, so Kiersted is the odd man out, his departure to the AHL leaving the Panthers once again with seven defenders on their roster.
Kiersted, 24, is an undrafted player who began his professional career in 2020-21 after a long, fruitful collegiate career at the University of North Dakota. Kiersted got a seven-game trial with the Panthers after signing from College, and spent most of last season at the AHL level.
In the AHL, Kiersted scored 20 points in 63 games, and added 64 penalty minutes as well. His performance earned him 10 NHL games that season, and he managed to score his first NHL goal.
This year, Kiersted has split time between the NHL and AHL levels. In the AHL, Kiersted has registered 12 games played and scored one point. Kiersted has played in a top-four role in the AHL, including time killing penalties, but hasn’t managed to seize a major role in the NHL. For the Panthers, Kiersted is averaging under 10 minutes of ice time per night, and virtually no time on the team’s special teams units.
With this loan, Fitzgerald will now get a chance to impress on the Panthers’ roster while Kiersted will look to put forth a solid stretch of appearances in Charlotte.
Panthers Notes: Barkov, Gudas, Ekblad, Kiersted, Levtchi
The Panthers could have a pair of regulars back in the lineup on Thursday against Montreal as George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports that center Aleksander Barkov and defenseman Radko Gudas could be back for that contest. Barkov has missed time due to illness twice this season which is a big loss for Florida as he’s their all-situations top middleman that once again is averaging close to a point per game. Gudas, meanwhile, was injured early this month against Seattle, suffering a concussion. The veteran has six points and 95 hits in 25 games so far this season.
However, it’s not all good news on the injury front for Florida as Richards adds that blueliner Aaron Ekblad might not be able to play against Montreal. He suffered an upper-body injury on Friday and his absence would be a big blow as he’s logging over 24 minutes a night for the third straight season. To that end, Richards tweets that blueliner Matt Kiersted has been recalled from the minors after being sent down over the weekend. The 24-year-old has four points in 20 games with the Panthers this season.
Meanwhile, the team announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled forward Anton Levtchi from AHL Charlotte. The 27-year-old signed a one-year deal with Florida back in June after leading the SM-liiga in scoring last season with 61 points in 55 games with Tappara. So far this season with the Checkers, Levtchi has seven goals and six assists in 24 contests. Florida returned Givani Smith and Grigori Denisenko to the minors over the weekend and it appears they’ll stay in the minors for now with Levtchi getting his first NHL look instead.
Florida Panthers Recall Zac Dalpe, Matt Kiersted
The Florida Panthers recalled center Zac Dalpe and defenseman Matt Kiersted from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers on Monday, according to the AHL’s transactions log.
Florida is taking advantage of some added and much-needed roster flexibility created by Patric Hornqvist heading for long-term injured reserve. With some players out for just a handful of games at a time and the team pressed up against the salary cap, the Panthers had dressed fewer than 18 skaters at times in recent weeks and were relying on $0 emergency recalls to have a full roster.
Dalpe heads up to restore Florida’s number of healthy forwards on the active roster to 12. Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell are both day-to-day with an illness and upper-body injury, respectively, which forced them to ice 11 forwards and six defensemen in their last game.
If neither Barkov nor Lundell can return tomorrow, the Panthers will take on Winnipeg with Dalpe in the lineup. A veteran of 154 NHL games and the Checkers’ captain, Dalpe suited up once for Florida last season and has 10 goals in 19 games to lead Charlotte in 2022-23.
Kiersted, an undrafted free agent signing out of the University of North Dakota two years ago, has appeared in 27 NHL games for Florida over the past three seasons. He’s had a rough start in the minors, notching just one assist in 12 games with the Checkers, and has a -6 rating. He comes to the roster as insurance, expected to be a healthy scratch unless the Panthers suffer additional injuries to their defense corps.
Florida Panthers Send Three Players To AHL
As they prepare their cap for the impending return of Aaron Ekblad, the Florida Panthers have sent three players to the minor leagues. Lucas Carlsson, Aleksi Heponiemi, and Matt Kiersted have all been sent to the Charlotte Checkers.
Ekblad was injured in the middle of October and has played just three games this season. He is eligible to return on Saturday after missing the requisite LTIR time, and head coach Paul Maurice is expecting him in the lineup.
Patric Hornqvist is also expected back in the coming days, though he was never placed on injured reserve in the first place. To make room for Ekblad, the team still needs to clear a bit more salary, likely meaning someone else will be going down when he’s activated. For now, the team has to keep at least 20 players on the roster.
It’s huge news for the Panthers, especially given how strong Ekblad was last season. The veteran defenseman set a new career high with 57 points in 61 games and finished sixth in Norris Trophy voting. Florida has been okay without him but still sit at 8-5-1 on the year, not exactly the start they wanted after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2021-22.
Ekblad’s return will go a long way to getting them back to being an elite team in the league, even if it does cost them some NHL depth to fit his salary in.
Florida Panthers Move Ekblad To LTIR; Recall Two Defensemen
The Florida Panthers are hurting, with Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour both leaving the game a few days ago. While Montour is back at morning skate today, he won’t play tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers. In their place, Lucas Carlsson and Matt Kiersted have both been brought up from the AHL, with the latter only activated from season-opening injured reserve yesterday.
Interestingly enough, Eric Staal is also out with the main group, according to team reporter Jameson Olive, as he continues to skate on a PTO.
Ekblad has been moved to long-term injured reserve, a necessity given how little cap space the team had been dealing with. His timeline is still undetermined.
It is an unfortunate result for the Panthers’ top defenseman, who is coming off the best season of his career. Ekblad was sixth in Norris Trophy voting in 2021-22 after scoring 15 goals and 57 points in 61 games. That games played number is the important one here though, as it’s now been a few years since he was able to put together a full healthy season.
Going on LTIR means missing at least ten games or 24 days – not ideal as the team tries to find its new identity without Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. In his first two games, Ekblad had averaged nearly 25 minutes a night and was likely set to see that much action for the entire season. Without him in the lineup, the team will have to find another way to fill up that ice time.
Matt Kiersted, Seth Barton Activated From Season-Opening Injured Reserve
A pair of defensemen have been activated from season-opening injured reserve (SOIR) and are headed to their respective teams’ AHL affiliates. The Florida Panthers have assigned Matt Kiersted to the Charlotte Checkers, per CapFriendly, and the Detroit Red Wings have assigned Seth Barton to the Grand Rapids Griffins, per the team.
Season-opening injured reserve is generally used for players who did not make the team out of training camp, but can’t be involved in any NHL to AHL transactions due to their injured status.
Kiersted, 24, is a candidate to find himself back in the NHL sooner rather than later given the organization’s weak defensive depth. An undrafted free agent signing out of the University of North Dakota in 2021, Kiersted’s appeared in 17 NHL games over the past two seasons, registering a goal and an assist and averaging 14:31 per night. He had 20 points in 63 games with the Checkers last season in his first professional campaign, and he’s destined to play a top-four role again there when not on the NHL roster.
Barton was a third-round selection by the Red Wings in 2018. He’s entering his second full professional campaign after spending three seasons at UMass-Lowell from 2018 to 2021 and recorded six points in 20 AHL games during his rookie campaign with the Griffins in 2021-22. It’ll be a struggle for playing time in Grand Rapids, which now boasts some of the team’s top defense prospects such as Simon Edvinsson, Albert Johansson, and Eemil Viro. A return to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, where Barton played five games last season, could be in the cards.
Florida Panthers Extend Matt Kiersted
The Florida Panthers have signed Matt Kiersted to a two-year contract extension, keeping him from restricted free agency. CapFriendly reports the deal will be a two-way contract in 2022-23 worth $750K at the NHL level and a one-way contract in 2023-24 worth $775K. General manager Bill Zito released a short statement:
Matt made great strides this year in his first full professional season, showing his skill as an exciting young defenseman. We are looking forward to his continued growth within our organization.
Kiersted, 24, was an undrafted free agent signing out of the University of North Dakota in 2021, and had a very strong debut season in the Panthers system. Playing mostly for the Charlotte Checkers, he racked up 20 points in 63 AHL games and added two more in ten NHL contests. The puck-moving defenseman is a very nice depth piece for the team to carry, especially given the tight cap situation the team will soon find itself in.
With Ben Chiarot, Robert Hagg, Markus Nutivaara, Chase Priskie, and Petteri Lindbohm all scheduled for unrestricted free agency, much of the team’s defensive depth may be on its way out the door. Bringing Kiersted back as the seventh or eighth option was a no-brainer, especially given he will still be waiver-exempt at the start of next season, able to go up and down between levels without issue.
The two-year deal will walk him directly to Group VI unrestricted free agency if he fails to get a substantial opportunity in Florida, meaning Kiersted is setting himself up nicely for the next few years as well. He even may compete for a full-time role depending on how the rest of the offseason shakes out, or potentially help replace some of the outgoing talent in 2023-24. MacKenzie Weegar and Radko Gudas both only have one year left on their current contracts, and while the former is an obvious candidate for extension, the latter may be getting closer to the end with the club, opening up another roster spot down the line.