The Florida Panthers completed a buy out of alternate captain Jussi Jokinen on Saturday.
Jokinen was set to enter the final season of a four-year contract, but will instead hit the free agent market. Florida placed Jokinen on unconditional waivers on Friday, which was a precursor to this move.
"I want to thank Jussi for his three years of dedication to the Florida Panthers," Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Dale Tallon said. "He has been an excellent mentor for our young players and is one of the classiest players in the game. We wish him success in his future endeavors."
The 34-year old has had a long and storied career and is expected to continue it elsewhere. Jokinen joined Florida in 2014 and had 132 points during his time with the team. The veteran forward played in 81 games in each of his first seasons, but was limited to 69 contests last season.
Prior to joining the Panthers, Jokinen made stops in Dallas, Tampa Bay, Carolina and Pittsburgh. Jokinen served as captain during the preseason for Florida at times and was an alternate captain during the regular season.
Florida has kicked off the start of the free agent period in grand style, with a flurry of moves on Saturday. The Panthers have already signed Evgeny Dadonov, Michael Haley and Radim Vrbata on the first day of free agency.
