Garnet Hathaway is the newest member of the Florida Panthers and, after being acquired in a trade with the Flyers on Thursday, is returning home.<\/p>\n
Kind of. <\/p>\n
Hathaway was born across Alligator Alley from the Panthers\u2019 Sunrise arena, but the native of Naples did not stay in southwest Florida long. <\/p>\n
As an infant, Hathaway and his family moved north to Maine \u2014 and his love of hockey grew and was honed in New England. <\/p>\n
His only real ties to the Sunshine State prior to Thursday were family vacations in the summer months. <\/p>\n
Nevertheless, it\u2019s a homecoming of sorts.<\/p>\n
He could not be more delighted.<\/p>\n
Who wouldn\u2019t be, with chance to join a serious Stanley Cup contender late in one\u2019s career?<\/p>\n
Hathaway\u2019s acquisition follows the pattern of GM Bill Zito bringing fourth liners on short-term deals who are coming off average seasons then giving them the opportunity to resurrect their career with the Panthers.<\/p>\n
Zito gave up a fifth-round pick in today\u2019s draft and a fourth rounder in 2027 in exchange for Hathaway and a sixth-round pick today. <\/p>\n
Philadelphia will retain 50 percent of Hathaway\u2019s final year, giving him a very reasonable $1.2 million cap hit for a hard-hitting forward who has shown a little scoring flash throughout his career. <\/p>\n
Hathaway may turn out to be one of Zito\u2019s real bargains, much like A.J. Greer whom he is likely replacing \u2014 and was a teammate of with Boston during the 2022-23 season.<\/p>\n
Last year in Philly, Hathaway\u2019s production was limited to a goal and two assists. A season earlier he had 10 goals. His career high was 14 with Washington in 2021-22.<\/p>\n
Hathaway met the Florida media Friday and discussed the surprising turn in his career, going from a team building its way into the playoffs to an established contender which plays to his aggressive style.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a lot of years now, I\u2019ve hated playing against the Panthers,\u2019\u2019 Hathaway said. \u201cI think you realize they are winners in how they compete and how they prepare, and how they play throughout the season. I think they play playoff hockey every night. \u2026 <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s something I take a lot of pride in. I\u2019m excited about going into each game like it\u2019s the most important game of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hathaway is not a stranger to some of the Panthers. <\/p>\n
He was a teammate of Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett in Calgary and for a short time, with Brad Marchand in Boston.\u00a0 He should fit right in with their aggressive style.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo see the familiar faces \u2013 to see Marchy from Boston even for a short period of time \u2013 it\u2019s already a welcome sight,\u2019\u2019 he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI know their personalities. I know how dedicated they are to their craft, to their teammates and to winning. So, it\u2019s not a surprise for what I\u2019m going into and knowing those guys on a personal level just highlights the day in and day out stuff that they take a lot of pride in.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was a trade, not a UFA signing like most of the prior depth deals, so Hathaway obviously did not seek out the Panthers \u2014 and found out about the deal while working out at the Flyers\u2019 complex in New Jersey. <\/p>\n
But now that he is here, the opportunity of being a contender for the Stanley Cup cannot be ignored.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t even begin to tell you how excited I am for that,\u2019\u2019 said Hathaway, who has yet to win the big prize. \u201cGoing to a place that has that culture built in and is ready and is prepared and is going to hit the ground running to do so. That\u2019s what I want to be a part of.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s crazy in this league and pro sports \u2013 professional hockey \u2013 where in a phone call you can change your allegiances so quickly. \u2026 Such big dreams to win a Stanley Cup in Philly and now I don\u2019t want that at all. I want to be in Florida, and I want to be raising the Cup with my teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n
The closest he came was with the league leading Bruins in 2023. Hathaway was on the bench when Carter Verhaeghe\u2019s overtime goal in Game 7 knocked the Bruins out of the playoffs.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an opportunity to win a Stanley Cup. \u00a0Thanks to the Panthers it didn\u2019t happen,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u201cBut it\u2019s something I realized, that opportunity is something that you have to take and grasp. Nothing\u2019s given. You have to take it and take control of it. But to have the opportunity is something special and something I won\u2019t take for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n
The deal to bring in Hathaway is almost a sure sign that there will be no chance of re-signing Greer who will now get a well-earned payday elsewhere. \u00a0Zito\u2019s cap situation is in flux given the uncertainty of the goalie situation.<\/p>\n
Until that is resolved there is little chance of serious negotiations with other upcoming free agents. Tomas Nosek, Vinnie Hinostroza, Noah Gregor and Luke Kunin will likely be going to the open market.<\/p>\n
Cole Schwindt is a restricted free agent as are defenseman Donovan Sebrango and Mike Benning. Zito must tender them an offer before July 1 or they become unrestricted free agents.<\/p>\n
With the top six defensemen already under contract and healthy again it\u2019s anybody\u2019s guess who No. 7 will be \u2014 and we\u2019re not talking about Dmitry Kulikov although, perhaps we are.<\/p>\n
At forward, fortunately he still has veteran Cole Reinhardt under contract and Sandis Vilmanis has a good shot to make the varsity. Both made favorable impressions last season. \u00a0<\/p>\n
With the draft and free agency coming within days of each other, get set for action.<\/p>\n
2026 NHL DRAFT<\/p>\n
When: Today; Key Bank Center, Buffalo<\/p>\n
Second-Seventh Rounds:\u00a0Saturday, 11 a.m. (NHL Network)<\/p>\n
Panthers Selections (Six Overall) \u2014 Round 1:\u00a0None;\u00a0Round 2 (Today):\u00a0No. 40, No. 48;\u00a0Round 3:\u00a0None;\u00a0Round 4:\u00a0No. 98;\u00a0Round 5:\u00a0None;\u00a0Round 6:\u00a0No. 168, No. 181;\u00a0Round 7:\u00a0No. 217<\/p>\n
ON DECK: FLORIDA PANTHERS\u00a0OFFSEASON<\/p>\n
NHL Draft (No picks in First Round, Six Overall):\u00a0Today; KeyBank Center, Buffalo<\/a><\/p>\n