Patric Hornqvist's name had been thrown around as a potential trade piece for the Penguins in the last few weeks.
The Penguins are looking to get younger, and Hornqvist turns 34 next season. And his cap hit, $5.3 million, is a little high.
But with Hornqvist having a full no-trade clause for one more season, a trade wasn't a given. He'd have to sign off on any deal Jim Rutherford could make. Would Hornqvist want to leave Pittsburgh?
In speaking with Panthers reporters on Friday, Hornqvist said that the decision to waive his no-trade clause was an easy one after he got the call asking if he'd do so. Hornqvist wanted to go somewhere where he was wanted.
"It's obviously been a little crazy," Hornqvist said. "This came up, a little blindsiding me. I had a (no-trade) clause. But when I found out Pittsburgh didn't want me and Florida really wants me, it was an easy choice for me and my family. Now I'm super excited to go down there and help them win some games."
Hornqvist twice mentioned being "blindsided" by the ask to waive his no-trade clause.
"It was a tough situation for me and my family when you get blindsided a little bit," he said. "You know you have a no-trade, you don't think this question is going to come up. When it came up, I really took time to go through every scenario. At the end day, it was boiling down to one team really wants you, and the other team doesn't want you. That made my decision so much easier."
After the trade was completed on Thursday, Rutherford spoke of the loss Hornqvist's leadership would be in the Penguins' locker room.
"I have nothing but great things to say about him as a person and as a player," Rutherford said. "He is one of the very top character players in our league with his leadership. That's why Florida wanted him. They want to change their culture, similar to what I talked about when I first came to Pittsburgh."
When Hornqvist spoke with new Panthers general manager Bill Zito on Thursday, the conversation was much like the one Hornqvist had with Rutherford back in 2014. A big reason that the new general manager wanted him was for what Hornqvist could bring to the team in terms of leadership and work-ethic.
“(Zito) said the exact same thing: ‘We want you because of what you bring every single day,’” Hornqvist said. “’You get experience and you play hard, and you’ll play a big role for us on the ice, off the ice, too,’ and that’s exactly what I want. That made my choice so much easier. I’m excited to go down there and help the team win, and get to know everyone and get the season started.”
Hornqvist said that he plans on still living in Pittsburgh for the next month or two before moving to Florida, but plans on visiting his new home before then to start looking for a house and schools for his two young daughters. And once he gets to Florida and next season gets underway, his goals are the same they've been throughout his career.
"My game's not going to change," said Hornqvist. "I'm still going to be hard to play against every shift, go to the net and score some goals, do all those things. ... "I want to win games. I do everything for the team to help them win. I'm going to keep doing that."