SUNRISE, Fla. – Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito announced today that the club has acquired defenseman Markus Nutivaara from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for forward Cliff Pu.
“We are thrilled to welcome Markus to the Panthers,” said Zito. “He is a responsible and competitive two-way defenseman who possesses great vision and moves the puck well. He will be an excellent addition to our team and strengthens our depth on defense.”
Nutivaara, 26, appeared in 37 regular season games with Columbus, recording nine points (3-6-9) and appeared in two playoff games.
The 6-foot-1, 187-pound native of Oulu, Finland, has played in 244 career NHL regular season games, all with Columbus (2016-17 to 2019-20), producing 60 points (17-43-60). He has played in 12 career playoff games, posting two points (1-1-2).
Prior to his career in North America, Nutivaara played two seasons (2014-15 to 2015-16) for Kärpät in Finland’s top professional league, Liiga and won the 2015 Liiga Championship.
On the international stage, Nutivaara represented Finland at the 2018 IIHF World Championship, registering nine points (3-6-9) over eight games, the most points among Finland’s defensemen.
He was originally selected by Columbus in the seventh round (189th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft.
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