Henrik Haapala

Haapala was the scoring champion of the Finnish league this past season, netting 60 points in 51 games en route to leading his club, Tappara Tampere, to its second straight league title; he then proceeded to ink a two-year, two-way deal with Florida. An undersized but supremely skilled winger known for his playmaking ability, Haapala faces a tough adjustment in the NHL, where he'll be playing on a smaller ice surface against bigger opponents. After the Panthers decided not to retain four of their top wingers in the offseason, Haapala has a chance to step into a top-six role right away -- maybe even on the first line with Jonathan Huberdeau and fellow countryman Aleksander Barkov. Haapala is an older rookie at 23 years old, so it wouldn't be surprising if he experiences success right away, but he’s also likely to experience some growing pains as he adjusts to a new league and schedule.