Which Wennberg Will The Seattle Kraken Get?
Move to Florida
After his buy-out, Wennberg hit the open free agent market for the first time. Former Blue Jackets Assistant General Manager Bill Zito filled the Panthers’ GM opening and immediately reunited with the center.
Wennberg’s contract with Florida was only a one-year deal and came with a much lower cap hit. But it was another chance to show that he could compete at the NHL level. It was a prove-it deal, and for the most part, he did.
With Florida, Wennberg scored a career-high in goals (17) and was on a decent pace for points (29 in 56 games). It was also the first time in his NHL career that he scored more goals than assists. For the first time in a while, he was comfortable with his shot. Additionally, the pivot came close to winning 50 percent of his faceoffs for the first time in the NHL. He won 388 of 788 draws (49.2 percent).
Wenneberg’s resurgence was one of the reasons why Florida made only their second trip to the playoffs since 2012. Once his contract expired following the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals, the 27-year-old was again a free agent. Next stop, the Emerald City.