Florida Panthers Offseason Free Agent Targets: Right Defense

The Florida Panthers are going to be making changes to their defense in the offseason as they have a few UFAs who the team will likely move on from. Radko Gudas appears to be heading to free agency, so there will be a hole on the right side to fill and one of these players could do so for cheaper.

Scott Mayfield

The New York Islanders' defense should be staying together for the most part. Most of the players are signed through next season except for Scott Mayfield. The last couple of seasons have proven that the young defensemen are on the rise and they can move out a veteran on an expiring contract. While Samuel Bolduc has shown what he can provide late this season, Robin Salo did so in 2021-22.

Mayfield can log some good minutes and is used to lining up on the second or third pair. He plays heavy minutes incorporating physical play and strong defensive play into his game while killing a ton of penalties. They could use a big player to replace Gudas.

Connor Clifton

The Boston Bruins aren't going to be able to keep their defensive group together next season as there are a couple of players up for new contracts and they have seven to eight defensemen that could be in the lineup. Connor Clifton may be one of the odd men out as he has played just two of the team's five playoff games so far and only logged just over 15 minutes of ice time.

Clifton is a UFA after the season and fits perfectly into his role on the third pair. He is still fairly young at age 27 and could be a great target with even more upside for the Panthers for a few years.

Luke Schenn

Luke Schenn is part of a very crowded defense core in Toronto after they acquired a number of defenders at the deadline. He will come cheap next season, but the Maple Leafs' right side is already full moving forward. He is currently being utilized over a few other defensemen and has played in all four playoff games.

Schenn was a part of a few Stanley Cup winning teams and always plays a very physical game. He is one of the only defensemen in the league that can match Gudas' physicality and will come cheaper. Schenn seemed to enjoy his time in Tampa Bay and Florida isn't too far away for him to make a return.