The Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers have made the first deal after the NHL's Olympic-break roster freeze was lifted at midnight Monday.

Pittsburgh acquired defenceman Jordan Leopold from Florida for a second-round pick in this year's draft, Penguins GM Ray Shero announced.

Leopold, 29, is eligible to become a free agent at season's end. That made him an attractive option to be moved before Wednesday's 3 p.m. ET deadline for NHL teams to complete deals.

The Panthers' chances of making the playoffs appear dim as they're six points out of a post-season spot with 21 games remaining in the regular season. Pittsburgh, the defending Stanley Cup champion, is battling with New Jersey for top spot in the Atlantic Division.

Leopold has 18 points (seven goals) in 61 games this season and ranked second for the Panthers in average ice time at 22:25.

Florida acquired him last June in a trade that sent Jay Bouwmeester to Calgary.