Panthers acquire Hudler, Kindl in trades

The Red Wings traded defenseman Jakub Kindl to the Florida Panthers Saturday in exchange for a 2017 sixth-round draft pick.

The Florida Panthers have struck and struck in a big way in advance of Monday’s trade deadline.

The Panthers added less than $3 million of pro-rated salary (there are 21 games remaining before the playoffs); Detroit will keep 15 percent of Kindl’s $2.5 million salary this season and $3 million next year.

Hudler’s is in the last months of his four-year contract, which was worth $4 million a year.

If Kindl reports, rookie defenseman Mike Matheson – a healthy scratch the past two games – could be returned to Florida’s AHL team in Portland, Maine. The value for Detroit is that they got most of Kindl’s contract off the books. He has been with the Red Wings since 2009 and has 68 points in 273 regular-season games after being Detroit’s first-round pick in 2005.

Purcell is a lanky 30-year-old winger who is more playmaker than finisher, but has been a decent secondary scorer throughout his career – this is the fifth time in the past six seasons that he’s averaged better than half-a-point per game. Twice he was waived this season without any other team claiming him.

Along with a great collection of young talent that includes Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Nick Bjugstad, Vincent Trocheck and Aaron Ekblad, the Panthers also have a huge group of veteran players that Hudler, Purcell and Kindl will now join.

Florida’s defense and goaltending has been its calling card this season, tied with Washington for the fewest goals allowed in the Eastern Conference (139) so far.

The Panthers acquired Jiri Hudler on Saturday.