Oliver Ekman-Larsson signed a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The 31-year-old defenseman became an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after he had the final four years of his eight-year contract bought out by the Vancouver Canucks on June 16.
Ekman-Larsson had 22 points (two goals, 20 assists) in 54 games last season, his fewest since he had 11 points in his rookie season with the Arizona Coyotes in 2010-11. His 20:11 of ice time per game was also his lowest since 2010-11.
Selected by the Coyotes in the first round (No. 6) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Ekman-Larsson has 439 points (135 goals, 304 assists) in 902 regular-season games for Arizona and Vancouver, and eight points (two goals, six assists) in 25 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The Panthers also signed defenseman Niko Mikkola to a three-year contract, defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to a one-year contract, forward Grigori Denisenko to a two-year contract, goalie Anthony Stolarz to a one-year contract and defenseman Mike Reilly to a one-year contract. No financial terms were disclosed.
Mikkola, 27, had six points (one goal, five assists) in 81 regular-season games for the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers last season, including three points (one goal, two assists) in 31 games after he was acquired in a trade with the Blues on Feb. 9.
Kulikov, 32, had 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 67 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks last season, including one assist in six games after he was acquired in a trade with the Ducks on March 3.
Denisenko, 23, had three assists in 18 regular-season games for Florida this season and no points in one Stanley Cup Playoff game.
Stolarz, 29, was 5-6-0 with a 3.73 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in 19 games (12 starts) with the Ducks last season.
Reilly, 29, had one assist in 10 games with the Bruins, playing most of the season with Providence of the American Hockey League.
