Matt Kiersted

July 2024 – The 2023-24 season was a step back for Kiersted. He went from splitting time between the NHL and AHL in 2022-23 to playing exclusively in the AHL. While this is disheartening to see, it could likely be explained by how deep the Panthers were on defense on their road to the Stanley Cup in 2024. With departures like Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Kiersted should be in the running for a roster spot out of camp but he will need to compete with established NHLers Adam Boqvist and Nate Schmidt as well as former first-round pick Tobias Bjornfot for those spots. Kiersted’s future with the Panthers is largely dependent on how he performs in 2024-25 and proves that he is a piece that belongs on the Panther’s back end for the coming years. James Connelly

August 2023 – Kierstad upped his scoring pace at the AHL level (0.32 points per game –> 0.43) in 2022-23 and worked his way into the Panthers’ line up for 20 games (four points). He was used by Florida in a largely sheltered, offensive role and drove play quite well relative to his teammates. The underlying numbers suggest he is ready for a bigger role in 2023-24, and although there are a couple free agent defenders in the mix for playing time now, Kiersted will likely stick with Florida full-time and improve on the 9:51 minutes per game he saw last year. Ben Gehrels

June 2022 — The smooth-skating Kiersted excelled offensively over his final two years of college hockey
after being passed over in the draft. He turned pro in 2021-22 with the Panthers’ AHL affiliate and has seen a
handful of NHL games over the past couple years. His first NHL goal was a slick backhand from the slot in traffic;
look for him to use his speed to jump up into the play even more as he acclimates to the highest level. Entering
the final year of his entry-level contract, Kiersted will be looking to stick with the Panthers full time in a bottom-
pair role. For fantasy purposes, he is likely only a depth piece outside of deeper leagues moving forward. Ben
Gehrels