SUNRISE, Fla.– Florida Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Bill Zitoannounced today that the club has acquired forward Nico Sturm and a 2027 seventh-round selection from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Florida’s 2026 fourth-round selection.
Sturm, 29, appeared in 47 games with the San Jose Sharks in 2024-25 recording 13 points (7-6-13). His 62.7% faceoff win percentage leads all NHL skaters with at least 250 draws taken this season.
The 6-foot-3, 209-pound native of Augsburg, Germany has skated in 316 career NHL games with San Jose (2022-23 to 2024-25), the Colorado Avalanche (2021-22) and Minnesota Wild (2018-19 to 2021-22), amassing 91 points (46-45-91). He posted a 60.1% faceoff win percentage in 2023-24, leading all NHLers who had taken at least 800 draws in 2023-24, and has posted a faceoff win percentage above 50% in each of his last five seasons including 2024-25.
Sturm has skated in 22 career Stanley Cup playoff games between Colorado and Minnesota, helping the Avalanche capture the Stanley Cup in 2021-22 with two assists over 13 games, skating in all six Stanley Cup Final games against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Undrafted, Sturm played in three NCAA seasons (2016-17 to 2018-19) with Clarkson University producing 103 points (36-67-103) in 118 games. He served as Clarkson’s captain in his third campaign, leading the Golden Knights to an ECAC tournament championship and was named to the ECAC First All-Star Team and NCAA First All-American Team. He also played in one season (2015-16) with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL, recording 39 points (14-25-39) in 57 games helping the Storm capture the Clark Cup.
On the international stage, Sturm earned a silver medal with Germany at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, producing eight points (6-2-8) over 10 tournament games. He also represented his home country at the 2024 IIHF World Championship and 2015 U20 World Junior Championship.
Catch your Florida Panthers in action this season! 2024-25 single game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com or at Amerant Bank Arena Box Office (Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Fans interested in Season Ticket Memberships for the 2025-26 season are encouraged to join the waitlist by clicking here, visiting FloridaPanthers.com/tickets or by calling PUCK line (954.835.PUCK).
