As his contract had expired, Bure was a restricted free agent. Initially unable to come to an agreement with the Panthers on salary, Bure did not sign until late September. The delay resulted in his being a brief hold-out from Florida's training camp in advance of the 2001–02 season. Injury interrupted the start of Bure's Panthers career as a knee ailment that began bothering him before the season worsened as he played the first games of the campaign. Tests revealed damage to his right knee that required arthroscopic surgery to repair; Bure missed 37 games while recovering. A second knee injury ended Bure's season in mid-March as the Panthers had fallen out of playoff contention. His brother had already been traded by that point, and the Panthers were also making Valeri available in potential deals. He appeared in only 31 games and recorded 18 points.