Bokondji Imama leaves the Penguins organization, signs a one-year, two-way deal with Florida

The Pittsburgh Penguins organization is no longer home for Bokondji Imama. On July 2, the forward signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Florida Panthers, a move that gives the Panthers another option for depth minutes and a more physical bottom-six presence.

Imama’s path through the Penguins system leaned heavily on the minor league route. According to the report, he spent the majority of the 2025-26 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he produced six goals, five assists, 11 points, and 137 penalty minutes across 66 AHL games. That combination of work-rate and willingness to engage has been a large part of why teams value “tough” forwards in modern roster construction.

That AHL track record fits a pattern seen in his recent pro experience. The same report notes that, during the 2024-25 season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Imama totaled three goals, five points, and 47 penalty minutes in 24 games. While those numbers are not about offensive output, they underscore a role centered on physicality and reliability when games get tense.

At the NHL level, Imama has had limited looks with Pittsburgh. Over the last two seasons, he appeared in 18 NHL games for the Penguins, totaling one goal and 35 penalty minutes, per the report. For a player on a two-way arrangement, the key question is less about what has happened before and more about whether the next call-up window arrives when the roster needs a spark in the corners or a stabilizing presence during matchup-heavy stretches.

For Florida, this signing suggests the Panthers are continuing to build a depth group that can be adjusted without changing the team’s identity. Two-way contracts give coaches flexibility between the NHL roster and the AHL, and the player profile outlined here points toward usage in grind-it-out situations: protecting space, staying engaged through whistles, and giving the team extra bite when opponents test the middle of the ice.

Whether Imama becomes a frequent option or remains an emergency call-up will likely depend on how quickly he fits the Panthers’ specific style at the NHL level. The most direct route is to separate himself during training and early camp evaluation, then be ready if injuries or performance gaps open a door. The signing also creates a clearer “next man up” option for Florida’s depth plans while they manage the grind of the season.

In the bigger picture of the NHL offseason, this is the kind of transaction that rarely dominates headlines but can still matter in the margins. A one-year deal provides stability for the team and a fresh opportunity for the player, particularly for a forward whose recent resume has been about earning minutes through physical engagement and game-by-game dependability rather than starring for long stretches at the top level.