- Panthers center Aleksander Barkov left Friday’s game against Anaheim after a hit from Jackson LaCombe early in the third period and did not return. Postgame, head coach Paul Maurice told reporters including Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards that there was no immediate update on him after the game. Florida is flying back from its road trip today so an update on the captain likely won’t come until Sunday. Barkov is off to a strong start to his season with 17 points in his first 16 games.
Panthers Rumors
Panthers Activate Aaron Ekblad, Brandon Montour; Place Josh Mahura On IR
The Panthers have activated defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour off LTIR ahead of tonight’s game against the Ducks, Colby Guy of Florida Hockey Now relays.
Additionally, defenseman Josh Mahura left last night’s game against the Kings with a lower-body injury after six shifts and did not return. Now, the NHL’s media site shows that Mahura has been placed on IR and will be out of the lineup for at least seven days, as David Dwork of Local 10 Miami and The Hockey News relays.
Forward Jonah Gadjovich is also available to play for the Panthers after his conditioning loan with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers ended today, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now says. The moves result in the Panthers having a cap-compliant 23-man roster with less than $100K in cap space (CapFriendly later listed this figure as less than $500K).
Ekblad and Montour were unavailable for the beginning of the season after undergoing off-season shoulder surgeries to address injuries sustained in the Panthers’ run to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. They are now eligible to play in tonight’s contest and are expected to make their season debuts in top-four roles. Ekblad is expected to suit up alongside Gustav Forsling, who’s logged a +11 rating and is averaging nearly 24 minutes per game. Montour, meanwhile, will comprise the second pairing with offseason addition Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who seems to have new life breathed into his game and leads Panthers defensemen with ten points in 16 games.
To make room for Ekblad and Montour in the lineup, Latvian defender Uvis Balinskis will be a healthy scratch, in addition to Mahura landing on IR. Balinskis, an undrafted free agent in his first NHL season, has appeared in 14 of 16 games for the Panthers this season, notching two points and a +2 rating while averaging 13:58 per game. The team now has eight defensemen on the active roster, with Mike Reilly still hanging around the team as an oft-scratch. Offseason signings Dmitry Kulikov and Niko Mikkola, who have both averaged over 19 minutes per game this season in the absence of Ekblad and Montour, will form a shutdown third pairing with the Panthers’ defense now at near total health.
The return of the Panthers’ top two defensemen provides a boon to a team that’s treaded well in their absence, sitting second in the Atlantic Division with a 10-5-1 record. Their success is largely due to the remarkable play of their first line, comprised of captain Aleksander Barkov with Evan Rodrigues and Sam Reinhart on his flank. Reinhart leads all Panthers in scoring and sits near the top of the league leaderboard with 13 goals and 24 points, while Rodrigues has fit in nicely with three goals and 13 points in 16 games after signing a four-year, $12MM deal in free agency last summer.
Montour is entering the final season of a three-year contract carrying a $3.5MM cap hit, one that proved to be an immense bargain last season. The 29-year-old right-shot D had one of the most notable breakout campaigns of any player in the league, recording a career-high 16 goals, 57 assists and 73 points in 80 games and finished 12th in Norris Trophy voting. Ekblad remains under contract through 2024-25 and logged over 23 minutes per night for a third consecutive season in 2022-23.
It’s a tough break for Mahura, who has seen limited ice time this season and now faces an uphill battle for a roster spot when he returns from injury. The 25-year-old had five assists and a -2 rating, playing in all 16 games, but had failed to see more than 15 minutes of ice in any single game this year. A 2016 third-round pick of the Ducks, Mahura is signed to a one-year, $925K deal and will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the end of the season.
Florida Panthers In Aggressive Pursuit Of Patrick Kane
A little over half a week ago, it was reported that on his way back from hip surgery, Patrick Kane had been linked to four teams within the Eastern Conference; the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, and New York Rangers. Most likely looking for his best chance to compete for another Stanley Cup towards the end of his career, the Panthers and Rangers seem to be the best potential fits for Kane moving forward.
In his podcast, 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said, “We’re starting to get close to the Patrick Kane decision, I think this week he’s going to start talking to some teams. Bill Zito, the GM of Florida, has been one of the most aggressive GMs when it comes to Kane” (X Link).
It’s relatively unsurprising to see that the Panthers are becoming more aggressive in their pursuit of Kane, as although the defending Eastern Conference Champions are off to a solid 9-4-1 start, they still sit 19th in the league in GF/G. So far this year, their defense (notably missing both Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad), as well as their goaltending have been the driving factor in their entry out of the gates this season.
However, Florida will have a difficult time fitting Kane into the mix, as when Montour and Ekblad eventually come back into the fold, the team will have less than $100K available to them in cap space. If Kane is willing to sign a league minimum contract for one season, the Panthers should be able to fit Kane in, but they will have to make some moves to make that happen.
Overall, even if the Panthers are the most aggressive in bringing Kane into their lineup, that does not necessarily mean he will end up in Florida. Being a hometown native of Buffalo, as well as a former Ranger, Kane should have a certain comfortability in returning home to New York state if he so chooses. Also, as has been typical over the last several seasons during his tenure as General Manager of the Detroit Red Wings, Steve Yzerman has notably kept his cards very close to the chest.
Panthers Reassign William Lockwood To AHL
The Florida Panthers reassigned winger William Lockwood to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers on Monday, a team release states.
Lockwood, 25, earned a recall from Charlotte just one week into the season after scoring two goals and adding an assist in his first two games. He played seven games with the Panthers on his recall, but he didn’t get on the scoresheet, averaged just 7:27 per game, and was a healthy scratch Sunday against the Blackhawks as center Sam Bennett returned from a lower-body injury.
The 5-foot-11, 172-pound two-way winger signed a two-year, two-way deal worth $1.525MM with the Panthers this summer after spending the better part of three seasons in the Vancouver Canucks organization. A third-round pick of the team in 2016, Lockwood spent four years at the University of Michigan before turning pro with the Canucks in 2020.
Most of his time there was spent in AHL Abbotsford and the Utica Comets, where he had 54 points in 96 games across three seasons. He did get a look in 28 NHL games with the Canucks but managed just one assist, failing to translate much of any offensive success to the NHL.
That was never where his game would rest if he could make a full go of things in the NHL, however. He’s an adept penalty-killer by nature and wouldn’t be counted on for more than 20 or 30 points in a season at most.
He finished last season on a strong note, posting 12 points in 17 games with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack after a trade sent him to the New York Rangers organization. He never earned a recall to the NHL roster in the Big Apple, though, and the team didn’t re-sign him when he hit Group VI unrestricted free agency in July.
With the transaction, the Panthers are down to 21 players on the active roster, with the only extra skater being defenseman Mike Reilly. Defenseman Brandon Montour is expected to come off injured reserve soon, although no transaction was necessary to activate him with a roster spot available.
Returning Lockwood to the minors now allows him to head directly to Charlotte without needing waivers. Had he stayed on the NHL roster for four more days, he would have required them after his 30-day temporary waiver exempt period expired after clearing during pre-season. It also allows the Panthers to accrue a little bit of cap space, as without Lockwood’s $775K cap hit, the team does not need the LTIR relief of Montour and Aaron Ekblad to stay cap-compliant.
Sam Bennett To Return To Panthers Lineup
Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett will return to the team’s lineup tonight, according to head coach Paul Maurice. Bennett has been limited to just one game and 7:54 TOI this season due to injury.
The 27-year-old center will shift into a third-line pivot role in Maurice’s lineup, pushing Kevin Stenlund to the fourth line. He’ll play in between Nick Cousins and Eetu Luostarinen, two players looking to increase their productivity this season as they combine for just four points.
Production hasn’t been an issue for Bennett since he arrived in Florida. After scoring 20 points in his first 15 games in Sunrise, Bennett scored 28 goals in 2021-22. Then he had 40 points in just 63 games last season, to go alongside 15 points in 20 postseason games.
The Panthers have survived their injury issues to start this season, and currently rank second in the Atlantic Division with a .654 points percentage. While there was some worry that the team would stumble after reaching the Stanley Cup Final earlier this year, it appears such worries were premature.
The return of Bennett for today’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks will only strengthen what is already a quality Panthers team.
Panthers Loan Rasmus Asplund To AHL
The Florida Panthers loaned forward Rasmus Asplund to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers on Saturday, a post from the team on Twitter/X relays.
This ends a nine-day stint on the NHL roster for Asplund, whom the Panthers recalled from Charlotte on November 2. However, the 25-year-old did not enter the lineup, sitting as a healthy scratch for five games while traveling with the team.
Returning him to Charlotte could indicate that at least one injured reserve activation is imminent. Both center Sam Bennett and defenseman Brandon Montour are nearing returns from their respective injuries, and the Panthers were carrying 22 players on the active roster. That means one player needs to be moved elsewhere to make room for Bennett and Montour while staying under the 23-player limit.
The Swedish-born 2016 second-round pick signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Panthers in July after seeing his NHL ice time decrease dramatically last season. Just two seasons ago, Asplund was viewed as one of the better defensive wingers in the league, posting 27 points in 80 games with the Sabres in 2021-22 and earning a handful of third- and fourth-place Selke Trophy votes.
Asplund slipped down the Sabres’ depth chart last season, though, recording just two goals and eight points in 27 games before the Predators acquired him at the trade deadline for a 2025 seventh-round pick. He appeared in 19 games down the stretch for the Predators, failing to record a single point and posting a -6 rating while averaging just over ten minutes per game.
That fateful stint with the Predators significantly harmed his stock on the free agent market after being non-tendered, forcing him to settle for a two-way deal with a minimum guaranteed salary of $450K. He did not make the Panthers’ roster out of camp and cleared waivers back in October, meaning he can be recalled to the Panthers for up to 21 more days before he needs waivers to return to Charlotte again.
In seven games with the Checkers this season, Asplund has two goals, three assists and a -1 rating. He will be a restricted free agent next summer.
Can Florida Afford To Re-Sign Reinhart Plus Their UFA Blueliners?
Panthers forward Sam Reinhart is in the final season of his contract and is eligible for unrestricted free agency for the first time this summer. Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards examines how Florida might be able to keep the 28-year-old and still re-sign pending UFA blueliners Brandon Montour and Gustav Forsling. He suggests that an AAV of $8MM might be workable while re-upping the rearguards, leaving the team enough space to round out the roster with a bunch of minimum-salary players. However, he has 166 points in 173 games with Florida, 17 of which have come in his 13 appearances this season and as someone who can play down the middle when needed, it’s quite possible that Reinhart’s open-market value could be higher than $8MM. That said, Florida is a favorable tax environment which could also convince him to take a bit less than he would from another team.
Sam Bennett, Brandon Montour Nearing Returns
- Things are looking up in the Sunshine State for the Florida Panthers, as they sit second in the Atlantic Division with a .625 points percentage. They’re about to get some reinforcements, too, as head coach Paul Maurice said today that center Sam Bennett is possible (but unlikely) to return from a lower-body injury on Sunday against the Blackhawks. Even if he doesn’t return to the lineup this weekend, that likely means Bennett could factor in next Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks. The feisty secondary scorer has missed all but one game this season due to separate lower-body injuries, last appearing October 30 against the Boston Bruins and playing just 7:54. The 27-year-old had 16 goals and 40 points in 63 games last season and will immediately help bolster their top six upon returning. 22-year-old Anton Lundell, who’s filled in as their second-line center in Bennett’s absence, has scored just once in 12 games.
- Florida is also likely to get defenseman Brandon Montour back soon, with Maurice saying the two-way defender could make his season debut as early as next week. Montour, who underwent shoulder surgery following the Panthers’ run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, was initially expected back around training camp but had his recovery timeline extended over the summer. The 29-year-old finished 12th in Norris Trophy voting last season, exploding for a career-high 73 points in 80 games and adding eight goals in 21 playoff games in Florida’s run to the Final. Florida’s defense has held up surprisingly well in his (and Aaron Ekblad’s) absence, but his return to action is still something to look forward to.
- Another big-time defender returning to action imminently is Boston Bruins star Charlie McAvoy, who has completed his four-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and is eligible to return to the lineup Saturday against the Canadiens. McAvoy had easily been the Bruins’ best defenseman through nine games, scoring two goals and six assists with a +6 rating while averaging 23:52 per game. McAvoy’s return to the lineup, along with shutdown defender Derek Forbort’s return from injury, meant the Bruins were able to return depth defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to AHL Providence earlier today.
Patrick Kane Talking With Four Eastern Conference Teams
Chris Johnston reported on TSN Insider Trading today that unrestricted free agent forward Patrick Kane and his agent Pat Brisson have formally opened discussions with teams about the 34-year-old’s next contract. It is believed that Kane is talking to at least four Eastern Conference teams and possibly even a fifth.
Kane opted to have offseason hip surgery after dealing with a nagging injury for most of last season. He had the procedure on June 1st and was expected to have a 4–6-month recovery period. He appears to be on track to return to the NHL within that timeline. The injury likely hindered the three-time Stanley Cup Champion’s play last season as Kane had a down year offensively, registering just 21 goals and 36 assists in 73 games split between the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers.
Johnston believes that the clubs Kane is talking to are the Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, and the Detroit Red Wings. Each of those teams makes sense, given Kane’s circumstances. Kane played with the Rangers last year and has a certain level of familiarity with the group. He is from Buffalo, and the Sabres are a team that is on the rise and could certainly use another scoring forward. Florida went to the Stanley Cup finals last year and often seems to be a popular destination for free agents. And finally, the Red Wings acquired one of Kane’s favorite players to play with, Alex DeBrincat.
Kane’s signing could certainly shift the balance in a very strong Eastern Conference if he can return to being even a fraction of the player he once was. He is just two years removed from a 92-point season and was a point-a-game player in 12 of 13 seasons before last year.
The biggest concern with Kane is that the hip resurfacing surgery he had is a tough one to recover from. Nicklas Backstrom has struggled to return from the procedure after having it last year, and Ryan Kesler was never able to return after having it in 2019. Mike Sillinger and Ed Jovanovski are two other players who had the same surgery, and neither was able to return for a significant period, although Jovanovski was able to play 37 games during the 2013-14 season. The surgery is typically for people in their 50s and is not commonly done for people under the age of 40. It is not without success in athletes, though, as tennis star Andy Murray has had the procedure and had a successful return to the court.
Florida Panthers Send Jonah Gadjovich To AHL On Conditioning Loan
The Florida Panthers have announced that forward Jonah Gadjovich has been sent to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers under the terms of a conditioning loan.
Gadjovich has been on injured reserve for the team while recovering from an upper-body injury, and he was slated to return at some point in November. He’ll now be able to hit the ice for the Checkers, returning to the AHL for the first time since 2020-21.
Gadjovich, 25, has played in 79 career NHL games, almost entirely with the San Jose Sharks. A 2017 second-round pick, the Sharks claimed Gadjovich off of waivers from the Vancouver Canucks, an organization Gadjovich had risen standing with thanks to a 2020-21 campaign where he scored 15 goals in just 19 AHL games.
Gadjovich’s goal-scoring abilities from the OHL (he scored 46 goals in one season for the Owen Sound Attack) and AHL have not translated to the NHL level, where he’s played more as a grinder and occasional fighter. Gadjovich has racked up 148 penalty minutes in his NHL career, and it’s likely that his best chance at carving out a long career at the game’s top level lies in his physicality.
The Panthers lost quite a bit of bite in the offseason when Radko Gudas signed in Anaheim, so the return of Gadjovich to full health could help beef up their NHL lineup. Should Gadjovich land on head coach Paul Maurice’s fourth line in Sunrise, a player such as William Lockwood may shift to the AHL, as he’s currently scoreless through five NHL games but is a relatively established AHL scorer.