Florida Panthers 2026 free agency targets that actually make sense for the organization
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Bruce Raymond
Mar 8, 2026 (9:24)
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Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Alex Tuch, Rasmus Andersson, and Oliver Bjorkstrand could be the Florida Panthers' cleanest 2026 UFA fits, if the cap math works.
Florida sits in a weird spot right now, still built to bully teams, but also staring at a tight summer ahead.
The standings snapshot says it all, the Panthers are 31-29-3 and fighting for air in the Atlantic.
That's why 2026 free agency can't be a shopping spree. It has to be targeted, and nasty.
The first name I'd circle is Alex Tuch, a true top-six power winger who plays straight-line and drags defenders into bad spots.
He's sitting on 25-29-54, and that two-way plus-minus pop jumps off the page for a team that lives on pressure.
Tuch also fits Florida's identity, heavy on the forecheck, honest on the backcheck, and annoying around the crease.
If Sam Reinhart or another finisher gets too expensive, Tuch is the kind of winger who keeps the top-six mean without killing the pace.
Alex Tuch gives the Florida Panthers a new edge
Panthers fans would love this one because it feels like cheating, adding size and speed without losing bite.
On the blue line, Rasmus Andersson is the «solve two problems at once» option, right-shot, puck-moving, and comfortable eating tough minutes.
He's at 11-25-36, which is plenty if he's stapled behind Florida's attack and asked to keep the exits clean.
If the Panthers need a calmer second pair and another power-play look, Andersson checks that box fast.
Then there's the buy-low shooter, Oliver Bjorkstrand.
His 10-18-28 line is not the sales pitch, but the skill still screams «third-line sniper who can jump to the man advantage.»
Florida's best teams have always had one more finisher than you expected, and Bjorkstrand could be that guy if the price drops.
All three are true UFAs in the 2026 class, and each one fills a real Panthers need without changing the team's personality.
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