SUNRISE, Fla. – Florida Panthers President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Zito announced today that the team has acquired forward Nico Sturm and a 2027 seventh-round draft pick from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Florida’s 2026 fourth-round selection.
Sturm, 29, played 47 games with the San Jose Sharks during the 2024-25 season, recording 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists). His 62.7% faceoff win percentage ranks first among all NHL players who have taken at least 250 faceoffs this season.
The 6-foot-3, 209-pound native of Augsburg, Germany has played 316 career NHL games with San Jose (2022-23 to 2024-25), Colorado Avalanche (2021-22), and Minnesota Wild (2018-19 to 2021-22), earning 91 points (46 goals, 45 assists). In the 2023-24 season, he posted a 60.1% faceoff win percentage, the best among all NHL players who took at least 800 faceoffs that season, and has maintained a faceoff win percentage above 50% in each of the last five seasons, including 2024-25.
Sturm has also appeared in 22 Stanley Cup playoff games with Colorado and Minnesota. He was part of the Colorado Avalanche’s 2021-22 Stanley Cup-winning team, recording two assists in 13 games, including playing all six games of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Undrafted, Sturm spent three seasons in NCAA hockey (2016-17 to 2018-19) with Clarkson University, collecting 103 points (36 goals, 67 assists) in 118 games. In his third season, he served as captain, leading the Golden Knights to an ECAC tournament title, and was named to the ECAC First All-Star Team and the NCAA First All-American Team. He also played one season (2015-16) with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL, recording 39 points (14 goals, 25 assists) in 57 games, helping the team win the Clark Cup.
On the international stage, Sturm earned a silver medal with Germany at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, registering eight points (6 goals, 2 assists) in 10 games. He also represented Germany at the 2024 IIHF World Championship and the 2015 U20 World Junior Championship.
Catch the Florida Panthers in action this season! Single-game tickets for the 2024-25 season are now on sale and can be purchased through SeatGeek.com or at the Amerant Bank Arena Box Office (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Fans interested in Season Ticket Memberships for the 2025-26 season can join the waitlist by visiting FloridaPanthers.com/tickets or calling the PUCK line at (954) 835-PUCK.