 On July 3, 2018, he agreed to a one-year AHL contract with the Springfield Thunderbirds, the primary affiliate to the Florida Panthers.In the 2018–19 season, Driedger initially split his time between the Thunderbirds and Manchester Monarchs of the ECHL, before solidifying his role in the AHL.He made 16 appearances with Springfield before he was signed to a two-way NHL contract with the Florida Panthers for the remainder of the season on February 24, 2019.