Panthers sign free agents Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Dmitry Kulikov, trade Anthony Duclair to Sharks

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The Florida Panthers are anticipating being without some players when this coming season opens, and general manager Bill Zito filled in the projected voids in free agency.

And those moves came on a day where the team had to send fan favorite Anthony Duclair out in a trade as well.

The Eastern Conference champions loaded up on defensemen — two-time All-Star Oliver Ekman-Larsson and former Panther Dmitry Kulikov headlining the group — as part of a big class that struck deals with Florida on Saturday.

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Oliver Ekman-Larsson #23 of the Vancouver Canucks skates in the overtime period of the game against the New Jersey Devils on February 06, 2023 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.   (Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images)

Ekman-Larsson and Kulikov are both on one-year deals, as is fellow defenseman Mike Reilly. Another newcomer to the blue line, Niko Mikkola, signed a three-year deal — and the Panthers kept defenseman Lucas Carlsson on a one-year, two-way contract.

The Vancouver Canucks bought out Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s contract two weeks ago, agreeing to pay the 31-year-old Swede $19.33 million — spread over the next eight years to reduce its salary-cap hit. Ekman-Larsson had four years and $29 million remaining on the eight-year, $66 million contract he signed with Arizona in 2018.

Kulikov — who still keeps a home in South Florida — played for a pair of playoff teams with Florida in 2012 and 2016, and now has a chance to join a team that is a Stanley Cup contender that figures to be without Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour when the coming season starts in October as they