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Report: Panthers closing in on two-year deal for MacKenzie

Edmonton Oilers v Florida Panthers

SUNRISE, FL - JANUARY 18: Derek MacKenzie #17 of the Florida Panthers rates up ice with the puck during third period action against the Edmonton Oilers at the BB&T Center on January 18, 2016 in Sunrise, Florida. The Oilers defeated the Panthers 4-2. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

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Florida has been busy on the contract signing front of late, and that trend might soon continue.

Per the Sun-Sentinel, the club is close to inking top penalty killer Derek MacKenzie to a two-year deal, believed to be in line with his previous deal that paid $1.3 million annually.

MacKenzie, 35, had six goals and 13 points in 64 games for the Panthers last season, the last of his three-year, $3.9M contract. Though he’s hardly an offensive dynamo, he does play an integral role on the team -- he was one of the team’s best PK forwards last year, averaging 3:14 shorthanded TOI per game, and finished second on the club with 154 hits.

MacKenzie is also one of the club’s top faceoff men and serves as one of Florida’s alternate captains.

As mentioned above, the Panthers have been very active this offseason. They inked James Reimer on the opening day of free agency, and took care of important in-house business by re-signing Aaron Ekblad to one of the richest deals in franchise history.

Following the Ekblad deal, the club then locked in key forwards Vincent Trocheck and Reilly Smith.

Prior to those moves, the club acquired the negotiating rights to ex-Rangers d-man Keith Yandle, then inked him to a monster seven-year, $44.45 million deal.