Panthers may fill a few roster spots with European pros
CORAL SPRINGS — While Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon will certainly look to add a few forwards on the first day of free agency Saturday, he believes he had some capable replacements at this week’s development camp.
An obvious choice to fill one of the three open spots at right wing would be first-round draft pick Owen Tippett, 18, who at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds owns an above-average NHLshot.
But it’s the lesser-known trio of European prowings who may be more likely candidates to earn a place on Florida’s 23-man roster.
Unlike their teenage teammates at camp, Maxim Mamin, 22, Sebastian Repo, 21, and Henrik Haapala, 23, have been playing professional hockey in their countries for three or more years.
It was evident during Friday morning’s RedWhite intrasquad scrimmageat the IceDen. For the 6-2, 200-pound Mamin and the 6-3, 190-pound Repo, it was men against boys as they dominated puck battles while flashing NHLpoise.
“Physically, they stood out,” said Bryan McCabe, director of player personnel. “They both played pro hockey for a few years and they’re ahead of the game regarding some of our 18-year-old draft picks, but that’s a good thing.
“We need guys coming in fighting for spots, physical guys who aren’t afraid to go get pucks. We’ve got a pretty skilled lineup, so these guys can complement those players moving forward.”
Mamin, a fifth-round draft pick by Florida in 2016, scoredthe lone shootout goal of 10 players after the two-period scrimmage ended. He somehow roofed a backhander while standing about 6 inches in front of AHL-bound goalie Evan Cowley.
Mamin, who played the last three seasons forCSKA Moscow, his hometown team in the KHL, isn’t comfortable with his English yet, so he needed an interpreter for interviews. In stepped Swiss center Denis Malgin, whose parents are Russian, and who will be battling Mamin for a spot in October.
“It helped me to play against men and players who won Stanley Cups,” said Mamin, who had 12 goals and 25 points in 42 games last season. “Itwas a great experience in the KHL; now I want to make the team in the NHL.”
Repo, the Panthers’ sixth-round pick lastweek, has played four seasons in the Finnish elite Liiga and one in the U.S. Hockey League in 2014. Repo scored 32 points in 46 games for Tappara last season, the same team that Panthers top-line center Aleksander Barkov played for before making a seamless jump into the NHL in 2013.
“It tookme a while to get used to the smaller rinks than in Europe,” Repo said. “It’s a faster game. I like it. … I’ve playedagainst a lot of players who maybe are stronger than junior leagues and players who have NHL, AHL and KHL experience, so I’m ready for [the NHL].”
At 5-9, 165, Haapala, a free-agent signing on June 1, doesn’t have as much size, but he’s got the skill, as he displayed in the scrimmage.
“You could see [Haapala’s] hands out there, making good little plays in traffic,” McCabe said.
Haapala has played five seasons for Tappara and was Barkov’s teammate in 2012-13. Last season Haapala led the league with 60 points (15 goals) in 51 games.
Tippett may be the youngest, but his eye for the net is mature beyond his years as he competes for a spot.
“It could be anyone out here. It all comes down to who’s working the hardest and who’s going to fight for their spot,” said Tippett, who scored 44 goals in the OHL last season. “I have the whole summer to train and feel like I’ll be even bigger and stronger. I’ll use this as a learning experience, work as hard as I can and see what comes out of it.”
McCabe said Tippett looked “fabulous,” but the decision to send him back to juniors at Mississauga (Ont.) or keep him on the Panthers will be up to Tippett.
“We’ll have to see mentally; leavinghome, a young kid, if he’s ready for that long battle, an 82-game schedule,” McCabe said. “He’ll decide that with his play. We’re not going to rush the kid.”
Ang sparkles
If there were an MVP award given out in the scrimmage, it would have to have gone to defenseman Jonathan Ang, 19, who scored two goals and displayed NHL-caliber speed despite his Red team losing 6-3 to the White team.
“You can’t teach speed,” McCabe said of Ang, a fourth-round pick in 2016. “He flies around the ice and is definitely on the right track. He’s got one more year of junior left (Peterborough, OHL) and he just needs to put on some muscle.”
Cowley played well, but his Red team counterpart, Zach Bowman, 19, who is on a tryout, was sensational, stopping all five shootout attempts as well as two penalty shots.