The Florida Panthers have made their first major foray into free agency, signing former Pittsburgh winger Jussi Jokinen to a four-year, $16 million deal.
Jokinen, 31, is coming off a highly successful stint in Pittsburgh, during which he revitalized his career. Acquired at the ’13 deadline from Carolina, Jokinen scored 11 points in 10 games with the Pens last season, then racked up an impressive 21 goals and 57 points in 81 games this season, with another 10 in 13 playoff games.
Florida was in desperate need of some scoring punch up front last season -- Nick Bjugstad led the team in points with a mere 38 -- so in that regard, Jokinen’s a nice get. He’ll also add a veteran presence to a team that promises to be very young next year, and could link up with fellow Finn Aleksander Barkov on a potential line.