Panthers’ future, present will be on display at prospect tourney
Spencer Knight can insist all he wants that he’s not guaranteed a spot on the Panthers’ roster, but he already got a place in Las Olas for a reason.
It’s the same reason Anton Lundell is planning to get his Florida driver’s license soon, and why Matt Kiersted and Grigori Denisenko are trying to do more than just get their feet wet at the Panthers’ development camp in Coral Springs.
Rookies will be a big part of Florida’s success in 2021.
“These guys have had some experience and they’ve stepped up,” said Gregory Campbell, the team’s vice president of player personnel and development. “They’ve showed their leadership qualities at this level and it’s good to see.”
Knight, Kiersted and Denisenko all played in games last year for the Panthers. Lundell, who signed his entry-level contract with Florida in June, is a virtual lock to make the team. Defensemen John Ludvig and
Max Gildon, and right wings Logan Hutsko and Serron Noel could also get the call up to the NHL at some point next season.
On Tuesday, they all wrapped up rookie camp at the Panthers IceDen and will head across the state later this week to play in a four-team Prospect Showcase Tournament at Wesley Chapel. As talented and veteranladen
as Florida’s roster is, the prospect tournament, which begins Saturday, will give a real glimpse at likely contributors.
“Games will highlight their talents and their strengths,” Campbell said.
THE PANTHERS’ ROOKIE NHL LOCKS
The most important rookie to the Panthers’ puzzle is Knight. He’s also the most proven of the group, despite having played in only six NHL games.
Knight and Sergei Bobrovsky will be Florida’s two goaltenders to start the season, and they will likely split time in net. By the end of last season, the Panthers trusted Knight most, though, and had him start their final two games of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Prospect Showcase will be more of a preseason
tune-up for Knight than an evaluation.
It puts Lundell in the spotlight as a player likely to make the NHL roster despite no professional experience in the United States.
The 19-year-old center has been a star in Finland since he made his professional debut in the 201819 Liiga season, and he arrived in Florida earlier this month after the Panthers took him with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. He figures to slot in as a third- or fourth-line center and is another potential Calder Trophy candidate.
For both, it’s their first NHL camp after the COVID-19 pandemic severely altered the league’s calendar in 2020. It’s a chance for both to acclimate themselves within the organization before their rookie seasons.
FRINGE ROSTER CANDIDATES
Players like Denisenko and Kiersted are still early on in their development, which means they’ll be in Florida only if they’re ready to contribute every day to the Panthers.
This weekend is their chance to prove it.
Kiersted proved to be serviceable in his limited playing time last year after his college career with North Dakota ended. Now he’s fighting to potentially be the Panthers’ seventh defensemen.
Denisenko scored four points in seven games with Florida last season and is regarded as one of the best prospects in hockey. He’s in competition for perhaps a spot on the fourth line.
The Panthers will almost certainly need them at some point in the next year, but they want to force the team’s hand by making their case now.