George Richards, FHN Publisher
The Florida Panthers open training camp on Thursday morning in Fort Lauderdale with coach Paul Maurice and his staff welcoming a number of new players.
Florida, the defending Stanley Cup champions, will look a little different this coming season after salary cap restrictions cost the Panthers a couple of key players.
When camp starts, there will be a few roster battles to keep a close eye on — but the next couple of weeks will also be used to try and help create some chemistry as the old mixes with the new.
How different will the Panthers look?
Well, most of your favorites are still here — and, most of them are locked down for the foreseeable future.
General manager Bill Zito has made sure to lock down the core of the Panthers although players such as Brandon Montour, Ryan Lomberg, Anthony Stolarz, Kevin Stenlund, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson moved on for better deals elsewhere.
That means changes to the blueline, Florida’s bottom-6, and in goal.
Let’s meet some of the new guys:
Luff is the latest player to join the Panthers, coming into camp on a professional tryout per Zito.
The 27-year-old has played in over 100 NHL games and mostly plays on the right side.
After spending all of last season with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, Luff is likely trying for a spot with the Checkers — only with the Panthers revamping their fourth line, perhaps there is an opportunity here.
Florida does not have many spots open. We’ll see.
Nosek, 32, comes to the Panthers after going through some injury issues in his only season with the Devils after leaving the Boston Bruins.
The Panthers are looking for someone to center their fourth line and Nosek could fit the bill here. He also should get a chance to kill penalties and get some power play time. This is a veteran player who has seen a lot; Florida likes much of what he brings.
“When I started playing regularly in the NHL, it was my first year in Vegas and we went all the way to the Final. Since then, I have been chasing the Final,’’ Nosek said.
“Every year, you want to win; when you get older, you want to win more because you know there’s not much time left. You try to pick a team with a real chance, and I think the Panthers are that. I hope we can do it again together.’’
Another former Bruins player who spent time with the Devils, Greer was claimed off waivers by the Flames and scored six goals with 12 points in 59 games last season.
Greer, who signed for two years with the Panthers, should battle with Jonah Gadjovich and Justin Sourdif for playing time.
He has good size, has good defensive instincts, and has played in 120 NHL games over the past two seasons. This is a player Florida thinks is just starting to hit his prime.
The 25-year-old spent last season with the Bruins after playing in 189 games with the Devils over the previous four seasons.
He could split time with Nosek centering the fourth line or slot in on the left side.
Boqvist, whose younger brother Adam signed with the Panthers a few days after he did, is another player whom Florida hopes is not just here for the short-term as he is a restricted free agent next season.
Just 25, Entwistle has played in close to 200 games with the Blackhawks over the past four seasons.
Another player whom Florida controls his rights as an RFA, Entwistle has good size at 6-3 and can play a physical game.
He will be fighting for a roster spot with the Panthers but could make the opening night roster with a big training camp.
After being bought out by the Jets, Schmidt basically headed straight into the arms of the Panthers.
Schmidt briefly played for Maurice in 2021 and says he felt his game was coming around before Maurice resigned as coach of the Jets.
With the Panthers losing Montour and Ekman-Larsson, there is definitely a spot for Schmidt — especially if he shows a return to his game from his days with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Schmidt did not want to leave Vegas and was a healthy scratch on occasion with a big salary cap hit in Winnipeg.
On a discount deal with the Panthers, Schmidt said he wants to recapture some “magic’’ with the Panthers.
He will get the chance to do so, that is for sure.
“I felt like this was a long time coming,” Schmidt said. “This was a team I had watched when I was in Washington and had come up through the rebuilding phase, into a contender phase to where they are now.
“For myself, I love the idea of joining this team and the energy of this group, playing for Paul and Jamie again was high on my radar when I was going through the process. They understand my game, what they can extract from you and your group, and I love that about Paul and how he treats his teams.
“This group has the vibe of my first year in Vegas, how the team operates, how the guys treat each other. It’s magic, and you’ve been chasing it down ever since.”
A right-handed shot, the younger Boqvist is going to get the opportunity to shine with the Panthers perhaps on the second pairing with Niko Mikkola.
Boqvist was a high draft pick by the Blackhawks (eighth overall in 2018) and one of the key pieces going back to the Blue Jackets in the Seth Jones deal a few years ago.
Things did not work out in Columbus as anyone had hoped so this is a chance at a bounceback.
Florida has had a few success stories like that over the years.
This looks like a nice fit for both — and Boqvist could find himself running one of the two power play units.
The 23-year-old is probably going to start the season with Charlotte since he would not have to go through waivers and Uvis Balinskis would likely be lost if he were to be sent to the AHL.
That said, the Panthers really want the 6-foot-6 Hovorka to settle in and develop in the right way. Playing in Charlotte, and getting a ton of playing time there, would be beneficial.
Do not be surprised if Hovorka makes his way to the Panthers sometime during the season.
A South Florida native who grew up in Chicago and finally got to play with the Blackhawks last year, Megna has made his offseason home in Fort Lauderdale the past few years and is ready to get a shot with the Panthers.
Megna has played a lot of hockey over the years, and the 31-year-old is a solid depth signing who can eat minutes and play a solid defensive game.
“After winning, they lost a lot of good players — and, deservedly so,” Megna said. “There is an opportunity here to play a role and hopefully keep winning. It was a win-win on that side. It is nice to be on the east coast and be close to family.
“Being in Chicago was great because I did kind of grow up there. I am making my way through now and playing in places that are very important to me and mean a lot to me.”
Driedger spent parts of three seasons with the Panthers before going to the Kraken in the expansion draft.
After a strong start in Seattle, injuries have slowed Driedger and he returned to the Panthers with the likelihood he will be the starter in Charlotte and the No. 3 with the Panthers behind Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight.
Yes, what is old is new once again.
The Panthers are giving Driedger a chance to get going again — and he could push Knight a bit.
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