Panthers sign Nosek and Boqvist to bolster their roster.

Tomas Nosek is no stranger to the Florida Panthers. The 31-year old left wing was a member of the Boston Bruins that was upset by the Panthers during the 2023 NHL playoffs. The Panthers would go on to make its first Stanley Cup title appearance since 1996 later in the year. But despite the brewing rivalry between the Bruins and Panthers during the past couple of years, Nosek is ready to put the past behind him. “I don’t think I’m the first or last person that got into some kind of discussion between the benches,” Nosek said. “It’s part of hockey. There’s no hard feelings at all.” While the veteran winger might be a newcomer to the team, he’s admired many of the current players on the Panthers 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 play with 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 ability to go on more deep playoff runs was the reason the free agent 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, the 31-year old injured his right foot early in the season, causing him to miss 46 games. But according to Nosek, the injury is no longer an impediment on 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.” But beyond the ice, the veteran forward 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.” In addition to Nosek, the Panther signed former Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman 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 the defenseman on waivers before being scooped up by the Panthers.