The Florida Panthers have added a depth piece in the wake of the Matthew Tkachuk surgery news, signing forward Luke Kunin to a one-year, league minimum contract worth $775,000, the team announced.
“Luke is a physical and highly competitive forward who possesses excellent leadership abilities and strong character,” general manager and president of hockey operations Bill Zito said in the official release.
Originally a first-round selection by the Minnesota Wild in the 2016 NHL Draft, Kunin spent a couple of seasons in the State of Hockey before spending time with the Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Chesterfield, Missouri native spent the 2024-25 season split between California and Ohio. He produced 11 goals and 18 points in 63 games with the Sharks before being traded to the Blue Jackets and suiting up for 12 regular-season games. He didn't manage a point in that span. Kunin's best campaign came in 2019-20, when he amassed 31 points in 63 games while playing for the Wild.
At the conclusion of Columbus' failed push for the postseason, Kunin became an unrestricted free agent. He was one of the better forwards still on the market before signing with the two-time defending champion Panthers.
Overall, he's suited up for 434 NHL games, recording 73 goals and 142 points in that span. Before turning professional, he spent two seasons with the University of Wisconsin, where he was the team captain. He logged 70 points in 69 NCAA games.
Luke Kunin will compete for a 4th-line spot
Kunin gives Florida some additional security after it was reported that the team would be without a key contributor in Tkachuk until January following adductor surgery.
While he was relied on to contribute offense early in his career, Kunin has taken on more of a pure checking role over the years. While his plus-minus has struggled, he's often been right at the top of his team in hits.
Despite the one-way nature of the contract, there's no guarantee that Kunin will make Florida's opening night roster. He's going to have to compete with Jonah Gadjovich, AJ Greer and Tomas Nosek for a fourth-line spot and potential ice time.
All three of those players have proven themselves as effective forwards on a Stanley Cup-winning team, which will make the challenge even stiffer. That's not even considering Jesper Boqvist and Mackie Samoskevich, who will both be looking to take another step forward in 2025-26.
There's probably not another team in the NHL with as much depth up front as the Panthers, and it has shown as the club has marched to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals.
Although Florida currently exceeds the salary cap, when Tkachuk becomes LTIR-eligible, the squad should be cap compliant when the season opens in October.
It'll be interesting to see if Kunin can carve out a role on a terrific Panthers offense — and whether he can change the narrative after a couple of tough campaigns.
