NHL Rumors: Panthers Interested In Ducks Defenseman

According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Florida Panthers are interested in acquiring Hampus Lindholm from the Anaheim Ducks.

The Panthers have been linked to several big-name defensemen, and now Lindholm has joined the long list. The Ducks are currently in a three-way tie with the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. However, they also have been trending in the wrong direction, while those teams are heating up. Thus, with Lindholm having an expiring contract, there's a chance we will see him moved.

The Panthers would certainly benefit from adding a top-four, left-handed defenseman to their current roster. At this point of the season, they have a 35-12-5 record and are among the Stanley Cup favorites. However, they have some cap space to work with, so they should be looking to make another big splash before the deadline.

In 51 games this season, Lindholm has five goals, 15 assists, and a plus-5 rating. Overall, he is another player who would cost a lot for a team to acquire, but when looking at where Florida is in the standings, they can afford to. It will be intriguing to see if the Panthers end up bringing in the 28-year-old. However, they also have been linked to Jakob Chychrun, Mark Giordano, Ben Chiarot, and John Klingberg, so they have multiple options to pick from.