The Florida Panthers have landed one of the last big unrestricted free agents left on the market.
"Big" being the operative word.
Brian Boyle, the 6-6, 245-pound center who last played for the Nashville Predators, has signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Panthers, the club announced Sunday. Boyle's deal with the Panthers is worth $940,000, according to CapFriendly.com.
Florida hopes Boyle's veteran presence can provide a boost to the team following its 3-2-3 start to the 2019-20 campaign.
"With over 700 games played in the NHL and over 100 more in the playoffs, Brian brings a wealth of experience to our club," Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said in a team release. "He adds versatility and character to our lineup."
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Boyle, 34, comes off a 2018-19 season split between two teams. He started the season with the New Jersey Devils, with whom he signed a two-year free agent deal in 2017. Boyle was then dealt to the Predators on Feb. 6, 2019, and finished the season with 24 regular season points between the two teams before recording two assists in three playoff games with Nashville.
The Hingham, Mass., native was drafted 26th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2003. He played four seasons at Boston College and spent time with the AHL's Manchester Monarchs before making his NHL debut with the Kings in Feb. 2008. Boyle was dealt to the New York Rangers ahead of 2009-10 and played five seasons in the Big Apple before stints with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Devils and Predators.
In training camp with the Devils ahead of the 2017-18 season, Boyle was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), which kept him from debuting with New Jersey until Nov. 1, 2017. Boyle played in 69 games that season while battling the disease, leading to his receiving the 2017-18 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.