Goaltender Akira Schmid and the Florida Panthers have reached a two-year contract to avoid arbitration, it was announced Friday evening.
Schmid, a restricted free agent before Friday’s announcement, was acquired by the Panthers from the Vegas Golden Knights on June 29, with a 2028 third-round pick going back to Vegas.
“We are excited to sign Akira for the next two seasons in South Florida,” said Panthers general manager Bill Zito in a news release. “He has the size, athleticism and competitive drive that fits the identity of the Florida Panthers, and we’re looking forward to watching him succeed with our group.”
The 26-year-old netminder appeared in 34 games last season for the Golden Knights, tallying a 16-10-6 record with a 2.59 goals-against average and an .893 save percentage.
It was his second season in Sin City after spending the first three years of his NHL career in New Jersey with the Devils.
Schmid was selected in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Devils and owns a career GAA of 2.67 with an .898 save percentage.
