FORT LAUDERDALE — Newly acquired Florida Panthers goalie Akira Schmid filed for salary arbitration Sunday, just days after the team traded for the restricted free agent from the Vegas Golden Knights, setting up the franchise’s first arbitration proceeding in seven years.
Schmid was among 15 restricted free agents leaguewide who filed for arbitration, Florida Hockey Now reported. The Golden Knights had already extended Schmid a qualifying offer of $918,750 for the coming season before the trade, according to PuckPedia. By filing, Schmid is seeking a higher number — though most such cases settle before reaching an independent arbiter.
The filing locks Schmid into the Panthers organization; another team cannot come in with an offer sheet while the arbitration process plays out. The Panthers have budgeted between $918,000 and $1.1 million for the backup goalie position, Florida Hockey Now reported, putting the club and player within a narrow negotiating range.
The last Panther to file for arbitration was defenseman MacKenzie Weegar in 2019. That case was resolved before it reached a hearing, a pattern that holds for the majority of arbitration filings across the NHL. Only a handful of the 15 players who filed Sunday are expected to actually appear before an arbiter.
The arbitration timeline ensures a resolution one way or another before the Panthers open training camp in Fort Lauderdale in early-to-mid September. The club’s preseason schedule begins Sept. 20 against the Carolina Hurricanes, with the 2026-27 NHL regular season opening in late September. The Panthers’ rookie camp and tournament is set for late August or early September at a site still to be announced.