Matt Kiersted

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