FORT LAUDERDALE — The Florida Panthers moved quickly to fill a hole at fourth-line center, signing 37-year-old veteran Lars Eller when NHL free agency opened July 1 — one day after trading Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist to New Jersey to clear salary cap space for goaltender Jacob Markstrom, Florida Hockey Now reported.
Eller, who has reached the playoffs in 13 of his 17 NHL seasons and won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018, said the fit was immediate. “Florida is a very desirable destination, a lot of things makes it a super competitive team,” Eller said. “A lot of things that made sense for me. I think the fit between what I bring and what the club was looking for. That’s kind of always the first thing. How do you fit it? How does the management see you fitting into the team, and where do you see yourself fitting into the team from that perspective? I think it made sense for both sides.”
The Panthers had expected Rodrigues to start at center on the fourth line, but his $3 million cap hit made him a likely casualty once the club restructured its goaltending. Eller arrives as a cheaper, experienced replacement with a championship pedigree and a reputation as a locker-room leader.
“I’m as hungry as ever,” said Eller, who spoke to South Florida media with a replica of the Stanley Cup displayed behind him. “I want to say I still have that same hunger as I when I came into the league almost two decades ago. Once you’ve had a taste of winning, it doesn’t satisfy that hunger to want to go out and do it again. And I think this team has also proved that they have that hunger in them.”
Eller was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2007 and made his NHL debut two years later. He was traded to Montreal in 2010 as part of the Jaroslav Halak deal, spending six seasons with the Canadiens before joining Washington, where he won the Cup. He also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and spent last season with the Ottawa Senators. Former Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk praised Eller on the podcast he hosts with his brother Matthew. “I cannot tell you how much of a help he was for me as a captain and a leader,” Brady Tkachuk said. “He was always dialed in, always prepared, always ready to go. I think he’s going to be a perfect fit for our team.”
The Panthers open training camp in Fort Lauderdale in early-to-mid September, with the preseason beginning Sept. 20 against the Carolina Hurricanes and the 2026-27 NHL regular season set to start in late September.