Sunrise – Following an offseason of transform, the Florida Panthers eventually examination out their new search on the ice Thursday night time in New York on Long Island.
There is a new head mentor, a handful of assistants, and 6 new skaters, just one third of the team. For the initially time in a ten years, Jonathan Huberdeau is not part of the puzzle. But anticipations are higher for a team that had a franchise-finest 122 details past year to lead the NHL and won its very first playoff sequence in 26 a long time.
Captain Barkov
This is Aleksander Barkov’s fifth year as workforce captain, tied for the 10th longest tenure sporting the “C” in the league. He scored a career superior 39 aims very last period irrespective of missing video games with injuries.
Barkov starts off his eight-calendar year, $80 million contract, as the top line middle and greatest participant on the crew. His defensive perform is among the most effective in hockey and he appears to be like like he received muscle mass around the summer months, probable with an eye towards the playoffs wherever open ice is as tricky to find as a awesome working day in South Florida in August.
Barkov is simply one particular of the finest all-all over players in the NHL.
Chucky Time
Matthew Tkachuk is keen to get started with his new group. Coming from Calgary in the blockbuster Jonathan Huberdeau deal, Tkachuk brings required swagger and character. He also experienced his most effective offensive time last yr with additional than 100 factors and 42 aims.
To set that in Panthers’ viewpoint, only one player in workforce history has scored extra goals in a season, Pavel Bure. But it truly is Tkachuk’s tenacity, mind-set, grit, and willingness to go to the net tricky that separates him from most of hockey’s other leading scorers and players. At 24 years outdated with an eight year contract, he will be an fast supporter preferred and one particular of the faces of the franchise.
Move Up D
With MacKenzie Weegar long gone in the Tkachuk deal, the Panthers will glimpse to Gustav Forsling and Brandon Montour to perform even larger roles on defense. Both gamers will have to shine for the defense to have achievements. Forsling and Montour have offensive and defensive skating talents and shift the puck nicely. The workforce is banking on them becoming completely ready, in the primary of their occupations, to do a lot more on the ice. Veterans Radko Gudas and Marc Staal deliver a defensive recreation and bodily existence to the blue line.
Internet Coated
The returning duo in purpose provides coach Paul Maurice a superior scenario for playing time and level of competition. Veteran Sergei Bobrovsky will get started the opener in opposition to the Islanders. He had his greatest period as a Panther previous calendar year. Spencer Knight is now 21 many years old and might be prepared for a even larger role. Owning gamers at the identical situation push one another is a optimistic, specifically in aim.
Cap Crunch
With a deficiency of income cap area, the roster won’t have considerably, or any, overall flexibility. It has the least variety of gamers for opening night and that may well be the predicament for some time. The Panthers are also hoping to however signal Eric Staal at some position, who came to schooling camp on a tryout.
Here is how it is very likely to line up versus the Islanders on opening evening, the 29th year in the Panthers’ franchise history.
Verhaeghe Barkov Reinhart
Tkachuk Bennett Balcers
Luosterinen Lundell White
Lomberg Cousins Hornqvist
Forsling Ekblad
Staal Montour
Mahura Gudas
Bobrovsky
Knight
