During his first season, Bitz established himself as a physical player in the NHL, a trait for which he became a fan favourite in Boston. After 45 games with the Bruins in 2009–10, however, he was traded to the Florida Panthers, along with Craig Weller and a second round selection in the 2010 draft, in exchange for Dennis Seidenberg and Matthew Bartkowski, on March 3, 2010. Eight days after his acquisition from the Panthers, he suffered a lower-body injury, sidelining him for four games. In his first game back, he scored his first and only goal as a Panther on March 20 in a 3–1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Soon thereafter, he suffered an elbow injury that forced him to miss the remaining eight contests of the season. Between Boston and Florida, Bitz totalled 5 goals and 11 points over 52 games in his second NHL season.