Florida Panthers sign Michael Del Zotto to one-year contract
The Florida Panthers have signed defenseman Michael Del Zotto to a one-year, two-way contract, the club announced Sunday.
Del Zotto, 32, scored three goals and 13 points while averaging 18:15 in 26 games with the Ottawa Senators in 2021–22.
The 6’0″, 195-pound left-handed defender also logged 26 games with the American Hockey League’s Belleville Senators, scoring 10 goals and 27 points.
We have agreed to terms with defenseman Michael Del Zotto on a one-year, two-way contract.
📝 » https://t.co/NuxRM7YF4J pic.twitter.com/4qKtUOkn7D
The Senators bought out the final year of Del Zotto’s two-year, $2 million-AAV contract with the team on July 12, paving the way for him to become an unrestricted free agent.
Del Zotto is the fourth former Senator to sign with the Panthers this summer, joining Colin White, Rudolfs Balcers, and Chris Tierney. Additionally, Claude Giroux went from Florida to Ottawa on a three-year deal on July 13.
The New York Rangers originally selected Del Zotto in the first round (No. 20 overall) of the 2008 NHL Draft. The Stouffville, Ontario product has appeared in 736 career regular-season games with the Rangers, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks, St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Ottawa Senators, scoring 63 goals and 262 points.
The Panthers now have 10 defensemen with NHL experience under contract for 2022–23: Aaron Ekblad, Brandon Montour, MacKenzie Weegar, Gustav Forsling, Radko Gudas, Lucas Carlsson, Marc Staal, Anthony Bitetto, Matt Kiersted, and Del Zotto.