George Richards, FHN Publisher
SUNRISE — When the Florida Panthers could not afford to keep Ben Chiarot and Robert Hagg before trading defenseman MacKenzie Weegar over the summer, it was apparent the team’s defensemen were going to have to adjust to new roles this season.
A few games in and things have already been flipped.
Brandon Montour has missed the past two games with what is considered a minor injury but one that left the team with just five defensemen Monday night in Boston.
Then Aaron Ekblad got hurt in the second period of that game leaving Florida even more shorthanded.
Ekblad is now on long-term injured reserve and is going to miss at least the next month.
”We have had a few unfortunate events,’’ Radko Gudas said. “I think everyone in the organization worked their bag off in the summer to get this opportunity here and now some guys are going to get bigger opportunities to step up and play roles perhaps they would not if everyone was healthy. It’s time for everyone to show what they’ve got.”
Florida brought up Lucas Carlsson and Matt Kiersted from the minors with those two slotting into the lineup Wednesday against the Flyers.
The minutes Ekblad and Weegar would chew up last season are now being devoured by different players.
Wednesday, Gus Forsling — who has gone from the Carolina waiver wire to Florida’s top defenseman in two years — played a game-high 26:04.
Gudas was second among all skaters in playing 25:11.
Marc Staal also got 20-plus against the Flyers.
Welcome to their new world.
“I think everyone handled the storm,’’ Gudas said. “We have a lot of good players on our team and on the back end, we’re just trying to keep things as simple as possible and give our forwards something to work as a unit. It is not great to see guys go down, especially in the longer term, but we just have to bear down and keep working to make sure when they do come back the season is still going.”
Montour is expected to be back in the lineup Friday against the Lightning and that should help ease some of the workload which was being shared somewhat unevenly by Florida’s top three.
Although Josh Mahura got his first goal with the Panthers after being claimed off waivers last week, he has moved up from Florida’s bottom pairing to its second.
On Wednesday, he played just under 13 minutes which was a little less than Kiersted but more than Carlsson.
”Listen, we have some injuries and that means other guys are going to have to step up and make a difference,’’ Sergei Bobrovsky said. “We already saw Mahura step up, score a big goal for us. It’s not about what is going on, but to go one shift at a time and really build a chemistry out there and in the locker room.
“We’re all in it together. The forwards help, I try to help. We have a good system this year and I like that we can rely on the system. We’re going to rally and protect the house.”
There is going to be a lot of minutes to be spread around in the coming weeks until Ekblad gets back into the lineup — and back to where he expects to be as Florida’s top defenseman.
But with him out, Forsling and Gudas appear to be two players who will see expanded time in all sorts of situations.
And, that means opportunity.
It may turn out to be a good thing.
“You get real looks at the young players who are trying out,” coach Paul Maurice said. “It is real hard to assess a guy, even in an exhibition, because it’s just not the same. The next two opponents are going to spend a lot of time in our end of the ice just based on their style. Our guys are going to get all the work they can handle.”