Tomas Nosek Joins the Panthers
Tomas Nosek is no stranger to the Florida Panthers. The 31-year-old left wing was a member of the Boston Bruins when they were upset by the Panthers during the 2023 NHL playoffs. The Panthers went on to make their first Stanley Cup title appearance since 1996 later that year. Despite the brewing rivalry between the Bruins and Panthers, Nosek is ready to move forward.
“I don’t think I’m the first or last person to get into some kind of discussion between the benches,” Nosek said. “It’s part of hockey. There’s no hard feelings at all.”
While Nosek may be a newcomer to the team, he has admired many of the current Panthers players from the opposing bench, including captain Aleksander Barkov.
“I watched him a lot of times. He actually reminded me of [Pavel] Datsyuk,” Nosek told the media. “He’s one of the best two-way players in the game, so I can’t wait to watch from the same bench.”
With the departure of center Kevin Stenlund to the Utah Hockey Club, Nosek is expected to join the Panthers’ penalty kill unit and serve as a fourth-line forward.
“The penalty kill was phenomenal [during the playoffs]. I hope I can fit in perfectly and kill some penalties,” Nosek said.
Nosek has played in 52 playoff games in his career: 38 with the Las Vegas Knights and 14 with the Bruins. The chance to go on more deep playoff runs was a key reason he decided to sign with the defending champions.
“That’s why I signed,” Nosek said. “When I started to play regularly in the NHL, it was my first year in Vegas. We went all the way to the Final, and since then I’ve been chasing the final again. Especially when you get older, you know there’s not much time left. So you try to pick a team that has a real chance [of winning].”
Last season with the New Jersey Devils, Nosek injured his right foot early in the season, causing him to miss 46 games. However, he assured that the injury is no longer an impediment to his play.
“Last season was not good from an injury standpoint. I was out for pretty much half the season and it took me a while to get to my game,” Nosek said. “I think my last 15 or 20 games, I finally [played] my hockey and [showed] what I can do. I finally feel healthy and it’s been a great summer so far, but I’m looking forward to jumping on the ice again.”
Beyond the ice, Nosek feels at home in South Florida.
“A couple of the guys [on the team] reached out to me and are really nice,” Nosek said. “I also talked with Radko [Gudas] and his wife [before coming here]. I’m looking forward to it and I can’t wait to join the team. It’s been great so far.”
Adam Boqvist Joins the Panthers
In addition to Nosek, the Panthers signed former Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Adam Boqvist to a one-year, two-way contract. In 35 games with the Blue Jackets last season, Boqvist tallied 10 points. The 23-year-old was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018 before being traded to the Blue Jackets in 2021. After an injury-riddled 2023-24 season, the Blue Jackets put Boqvist on waivers, and he was subsequently picked up by the Panthers.
This move appears to be a low-risk, high-upside transaction from Panthers general manager Bill Zito, who has a reputation for making similar moves in the past.
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