from Walter Villa of the Miami Herald,

There were times this past season when it looked like the Florida Panthers couldn’t stop a beach ball.

The Panthers could score, but they missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year because they had the second-worst save percentage in the NHL.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Panthers introduced four free agents who are expected to help on defense, including two forwards.

Three of the signees are rated among NHL Network’s top 20 free agents in the league this year: ex-Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (ranked second), former Washington Capitals winger Brett Connolly (No. 14) and ex-Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman (No. 16).

The Panthers also signed Noel Acciari, a defensive-minded winger who is likely to anchor Florida’s fourth line after helping the Boston Bruins reach the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals.

But Bobrovsky was the big-ticket signing as he was given a seven-year, $70-million contract.

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