Forward momentum

Panthers pick up goal scorer Thomas Vanek from Detroit.

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers took a huge step in their drive to reach the playoffs for the second year in a row when they acquired prolific goal scorer Thomas Vanek from the Detroit Red Wings ahead of Wednesday afternoon’s NHL trade deadline.

The Panthers sent the Red Wings a conditional third-round pick in this year’s draft and defenseman Dylan McIlrath, whom Florida acquired earlier this season from the New York Rangers for defenseman Steve Kampfer.

McIlrath, 24, played just five games for the Panthers and has spent most of the season with their AHL affiliate, the Thunderbirds, in Springfield, Mass..

Vanek, 33, has 331 career goals in of 12 seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens and Red Wings. He has scored 20 or more goals in a season 10 times, including a career-high 43 in 2006-07 and 40 in 2008-09, when he made the NHL All-Star team. He has 20 goals and 34 points in 63 playoff games.

“Adding Thomas makes us a legitimate team to get into the playparts

offs, first,” Panthers president of hockey operations Dale Tallon said from the press box in BB&T Center. “The players will like Thomas; he’s a good guy and has been a mentor, has been a real solid citizen in Detroit this year. He’s played very well, and he’s playing for a contract.

“He’s a very smart player. He’s got great hands, gifted offensively, who’s not only a scorer but a great passer as well.

“We made our team deeper, as far as a balanced attack. We have three lines that can score, and he gives us multiple options on the power play, specialty teams and shootouts. A real good addition to our team without interrupting our team and not giving up any of our young prospects.”

Vanek is in the final year of his contract for $2.6 million and will be an unrestricted free agent July 1. The Panthers will pay 50 percent of Vanek’s contract and nothing for McIlrath’s.

“I hope he lights it up so we can get first dibs on him,” Tallon said.

Vanek was leading the Red Wings with 15 goals and had 38 points in 48 games. Five of his goals have come on the power play, which Tallon has repeatedly said was targeted for improvement.

“The [Panthers] showed last year that they’re good enough to make the playoffs, so they’re a young team with a lot of talent, a great defensive corps and solid goaltending to it,” Vanek said while going through customs in Vancouver. “For me, I’m excited to join that team and make a push.”

Vanek, who played with Panthers defenseman Mark Pysyk for parts of two seasons in Buffalo, will meet the team in Philadelphia and play tonight, most likely on the third line with Nick Bjugstad and Jonathan Marchessault.

Vanek, a native of Austria with a Czech background, said he rooted for the Pittsburgh Penguins when he was growing up, and his favorite players were Mario Lemieux and his new teammate, Jaromir Jagr.

“As a kid I watched the Penguins a lot,” Vanek said. “Jaromir and Mario were my favorite players. I had posters all over. His career is amazing. I’m not the youngest guy anymore. Now I get a chance to play [with Jagr]; it’s surreal.”

The Panthers’ power play has been ranked near the bottom of the league for most of the season, but since the return of top-line forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov, it has heated up, notching five goals in 12 attempts over four games.

Vanek has 129 career power-play goals, including a league-leading 20 for Buffalo in 2008-09.

Vanek also gives interim coach Tom Rowe arguably the best lineup of shooters for shootouts in the NHL. Vanek was 5 for 5 this season and is over 40 percent for his career. Barkov, who scored the decisive shootout goal Tuesday in a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, is 5 for 8, which ties Vanek for the league lead. Vincent Trocheck is 4 for 9.

“They got enough good guys. Hopefully, it doesn’t come to that,” Vanek said with a laugh.

After the win over Carolina, the Panthers began the day 1 point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the last wild-card playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

Other deals

In a minor-league deal, the Panthers sent goalie

Mike McKenna to the Tampa Bay Lightning for goalie Adam Wilcox.

The Panthers also traded forward Shane Harper to New Jersey for defenseman

Reece Scarlett, 23, who has four goals and 21 points for the Albany Devils of the AHL.

Harper, 28, played 14 games for the Panthers this season with one goal and 3 points.

PAUL SANCYA/AP Detroit Red Wings left wing Thomas Vanek, 33, has twice scored more than 40 goals in a season and has 15 so far this season.

LYNNE SLADKY/AP Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov (16) scores against Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward (30) during the shootout Tuesday at BB&T Center.