Schmidt signed a one-year contract with the Panthers on Tuesday, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press reports.
Per CapFriendly, his salary will be $800,000. Schmidt was bought out by the Jets ahead of free agency and will now link up with the defending champions. The 32-year-old defenseman has been little more than a third-pairing option in recent years, but he'll replenish the Panthers' blue line while reuniting with head coach Paul Maurice. Schmidt had 14 points, 76 blocked shots, 66 hits and a plus-10 rating over 63 regular-season appearances in 2023-24.