Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Panthers Rumors

Finland Announces Final WJC Roster

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Finnish entry to the 2020 World Junior Championship later this month has the tall task of likely being the only thing standing between Team Canada and a group play sweep in the weak Group A at this year’s tournament. The roster that will face this challenge has been finalized and contains a majority of NHL prospects, but lacks some top-end talent and depth this year. Below is the roster for Finland’s “Young Lions” squad:

F Samuel Helenius (2021)
F Roni Hirvonen (TOR)
F Roby Jarventie (OTT)
F Benjamin Korhonen (undrafted)
F Brad Lambert (2022)
F Anton Lundell (FLA)
F Matias Mantykivi (BOS)
F Henry Nikkanen (WPG)
F Mikko Petman (undrafted)
F Petteri Puhakka (undrafted)
F Mikael Pyyhtia (CLB)
F Juuso Parsinen (NSH)
F Aku Raty (ARI)
F Kasper Simontaival (LAK)

D Santeri Hatakka (SJS)
D Ville Heinola (WPG)
D Mikko Kokkonen (TOR)
D Topi Niemala (TOR)
D Kasper Puutio (FLA)
D Ruben Rafkin (undrafted)
D Matias Rajaniem (NYI)
D Eemil Viro (DET)

G Joel Blomqvist (PIT)
G Kari Piiroinen (undrafted)
G Roope Taponen(undrafted)

The Finnish team, though it includes 17 NHL draft picks, is missing a pair of head-scratching omissions. Patrik Puistola (CAR), who led the Finnish entry in scoring last year and was eligible to return this year, was not included on the roster. Neither was Aatu Raty, a presumptive top-ten and even top-five pick in the 2021 Draft, though his older brother did make the team. Though potentially a stretch selection at his age, 2022 top overall pick candidate Brad Lambert will be an intriguing prospect to watch for the Finns.

Among NHL property owners, the Toronto Maple Leafs lead the way with three selections, all of whom should play crucial roles. The Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets will each have two core players as well. Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Blomqvist projects to be a workhorse starter for Finland in the tournament.

Florida Panthers Create Goaltending Excellence Department

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Florida Panthers have created a new hockey operations department, establishing the “Goaltending Excellence Department” that will be led by special advisor to the GM Roberto Luongo and new goaltending consultant Francois Allaire. They will be joined by Panthers goaltending coach Robb Tallas and Charlotte Checkers goaltending coach Leo Luongo and will focus on “comprehensive, integrated experience and program for all goaltenders in the Panthers system.”

GM Bill Zito released a statement on the formation of his new department:

Francois is a revered and highly influential figure in our game who has mentored a number of goaltenders to elite levels of play. Francois and Roberto provide us with unmatched experience and an exceptional pedigree. Their guidance, in tandem with our goaltending excellence staff gives us confidence in the evaluation of future talent and that Panthers goaltenders will be provided invaluable resources for their success and development.

Allaire has been a goaltending coach in the NHL for more than three decades, originally working with Patrick Roy and the Montreal Canadiens. His time has taken him to the Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Colorado Avalanche, where he worked closely with Conn Smythe-winning goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

Roberto Luongo meanwhile is one of the most celebrated goaltenders in NHL history and sits third all-time in wins with 489. His long connection with the Panthers organization will continue in this new endeavor as the Excellence Department will provide “consistent communication, guidance, and unified instruction” to every goaltender in the system. Currently, that includes Sergei Bobrovsky, Chris Driedger, Ryan Bednard, Philippe Desrosiers, and Sam Montembeault, but likely also extends to 19-year-old Spencer Knight who was selected 13th overall in 2019 and is still playing at Boston College. Knight’s performance at every level so far has been nothing short of spectacular and his development extemely important to the Panthers organization. In four games this season for Boston College he has registered a .955 save percentage and notched two shutouts. He is expected to be Team USA’s starter at the upcoming World Junior Championship.

Radko Gudas Could Play Games Overseas

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It’s not clear at all when the next NHL season will begin, with more speculation today that a February start may be necessary at this point. Top agent Allan Walsh of Octagon Hockey tweeted today that a January 1 start is “not viable at this point,” despite what some may say about it still being the target for the league. With that in mind, some players have delayed their travel plans to return to their NHL cities according to Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest. In Europe, Radko Gudas of the Florida Panthers has been in communication with a Czech team and could potentially play for them while he waits for the NHL to sort things out.

Gudas told iSport that if he does play it would be for HC Sparta Praha, though nothing is finalized yet.

The 30-year-old defenseman is an interesting test case to keep an eye on, given how outspoken he was earlier this year on the league’s attempt to restart the 2019-20 season. Gudas was clear when he said in May that he didn’t believe the NHL should try to complete the season, worrying about players’ mental health in the proposed bubble. While he was eventually pleasantly surprised with the situation, his forthcoming nature is one that could indicate how players feel about returning to North America.

In fact, that is an issue rarely brought up very often in the current hockey climate. What happens if players under contract don’t want to come back at all, even if the league decides on a start date soon? Not only will they be required to quarantine upon arrival, but there could be many who opt out entirely given the coronavirus situation in the U.S. and Canada. Several players did not feel comfortable entering the bubble, though they were not forced to give any reasoning for their decision to sit out the postseason. What about a season played without the strict protocols that were present in Edmonton and Toronto?

While these things are all worked out, Gudas appears to want to play some games in a league he hasn’t suited up for in nearly a decade. If he does, he’ll be joining former NHL players like Vladimir Sobotka, Milan Jurcina, Michal Neuvirth, and Michal Repik with Sparta. He’ll be expected to return of course, after signing a three-year, $7.5MM contract with the Panthers this offseason.

Juho Lammikko Signs With Florida Panthers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Florida Panthers have signed Juho Lammikko to a one-year, two-way contract, bringing him back into the organization. Lammikko played last season overseas but the Panthers had retained his exclusive RFA rights by issuing him a qualifying offer. He was recently playing in the KHL with Magnitogorsk but terminated his contract a few days ago, likely in order to return to North America. CapFriendly reports that the deal is worth $725K at the NHL level.

Lammikko, 24, actually played 40 games for the Panthers in 2018-19, serving as the team’s fourth-line center for the first half of the year. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to score a single goal during that time, recording just six assists in his limited minutes. Perhaps that’s why the 6’2″ forward returned to Finland, where he showed he can be much more than a defensive presence, scoring 22 goals and 51 points in just 57 games for Karpat. Things haven’t gone quite as smoothly through 22 games in the KHL, but there should still be some hope that Lammikko can make it back to the NHL.

The question will be whether he can log 40 games this season, given the reduced schedule and different looking Panthers depth chart. If he doesn’t, Lammikko would become a Group VI unrestricted free agent in 2021 (though the playing time requirements could be tweaked if the league plays a drastically reduced season).

Canadiens Notes: Churla, Kotkaniemi, WJC

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Montreal Canadiens have lost one of the key members of their scouting department as Shane Churla was hired today by the Florida Panthers. Churla will serve as director of amateur scouting for the Panthers, after serving in a similar role with Montreal.

As Eric Engels of Sportsnet points out, Churla will likely have more autonomy in Florida than he did in Montreal, where Trevor Timmins still runs most of the scouting operations from his role as assistant GM. Engels also tweets that he does not believe the Canadiens will rush to find a replacement for Churla, because of the presence of Timmins.

  • Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s loan has been terminated and Arpon Basu of The Athletic reports it is to be ready for a potential training camp should the NHL actually achieve its goal of a January 1 start. Kotkaniemi would need to serve out a quarantine when he returns to Montreal. The young forward scored eight points in ten games for Assat Pori in Finland during his time overseas, turning on the production after a slow start. The 20-year-old center played very well in the NHL postseason after an up-and-down season and should be a regular in the lineup this year. The Canadiens moved on from Max Domi, opening up more minutes for young players like Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki.
  • While Montreal draft pick Kaiden Guhle works to make the Canadian World Junior team, a few of their other prospects will be soon battling for their own spots at the tournament. Mike Morreale of NHL.com reports that USA Hockey will hold their selection camp from December 10-13, where several Canadiens prospects will likely be taking part. Cole Caufield obviously leads that group as one of the returning players, but Jayden Struble, Sean Farrell, and Luke Tuch were all also on the WJC Summer Showcase roster before it was canceled.

Florida Panthers Announce ECHL Affiliation

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Florida Panthers have not only adopted the Charlotte Checkers as their new AHL affiliate but will be bringing along the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL as well. Greenville had previously been affiliated with the Carolina Hurricanes but will stay joined with the Checkers as they move to a new NHL partnership. Swamp Rabbits head coach and director of hockey operations Andrew Lord released a statement on the new affiliation:

In a season already filled with change and transition, we are proud to establish an affiliation with the Florida Panthers. Having Charlotte close by as our AHL affiliate makes perfect sense geographically, it is one of the closest AHL/ECHL affiliation distance wise in the leagues. Geordie Kinnear is a great coach and Charlotte as an organization won the Calder Cup in 2019, so there are a ton of positives to this affiliation. We are keen to be a great partner and are determined to develop players to the AHL and ultimately onto the NHL.

As Lord makes clear, the connection to the Checkers is the important part here for Greenville, which is just down the road from Charlotte. The two organizations can use the short distance to their benefit with player transactions, something that may be even more important in a year like this one.

Greenville is one of 13 ECHL teams still scheduled to open their season in mid-December, with a game against the South Carolina Stingrays kicking things off on December 11. The league recently lost an entire division of teams that opted to suspend operations due to COVID-19 situations but are trying to push on with a reduced schedule.

Florida Panthers Hire Brett Peterson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Florida Panthers have a new assistant general manager, hiring Brett Peterson away from his role as Vice President, Hockey for Wasserman Media Group, which acquired Acme World Sports earlier this summer. As the press release indicates, Peterson is believed to be the first Black assistant general manager in the NHL. Panthers GM Bill Zito, who founded Acme before he moved into hockey operations for the Columbus Blue Jackets, released this statement on the hire:

His substantive hockey experience as a player, significant developmental and evaluation skills, and business acumen as a negotiator combine to form an elite skill set that is very difficult to find in our sport. There are many who can excel in one of those disciplines, but few who excel in all three.

Peterson, 39, does not come only with experience on the agency side. A four-year defenseman for Boston College where he won a National Championship in 2001, he then played several years in the ECHL and AHL. A playing career ended in 2009, at which point he jumped to the other side of the table and became a certified player agent.

He’ll get his first chance in an NHL front office under Zito, but will continue his work to help make hockey more inclusive. The release indicates that Peterson will take an active role in the Panthers’ community-based programs. He joins Paul Krepelka who was hired as an AGM earlier this month and a front office that includes other experienced names like Paul Fenton and Tom Bark.

Agent Notes: Survey, Peterson, Clarke

at CDT | by 8 Comments

While general managers and other NHL executives are usually seen as the ones with the most insight on the free agent and trade markets and player values, on the other side of the table agents also have their fingers on the pulse of the game. The Athletic’s Craig Custance recently asked 21 of the top NHL player agents to answer some questions on recent results, the current off-season, and what to expect in the future. Among the most noteworthy responses were their thoughts on how teams have performed in the fall markets. A major rivalry may be renewed, as the highest vote-getter for best off-season was the Montreal Canadiens, while the Boston Bruins received the most votes for incomplete off-season. While agents liked how Montreal has added up front, they have concerns about Boston’s defense in the wake of Torey Krug’s departure. As for projecting upcoming moves, some may be surprised to hear that the top vote-getter for “highest profile player you expect to change teams in the next year” was Buffalo Sabres superstar Jack Eichel (tied with Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine), as many felt that Eichel and new addition Taylor Hall will not be enough to right the ship in Buffalo and one or both will be gone next summer. As for the coming season, two-thirds of those polled believed the 2020-21 season will exceed Custance’s over/under of 55.5 games in length. The vast majority also feel that NBC will retain exclusive television rights in the league’s new contract, but many feel ESPN will be a factor and could at the very least force a split. For more on the opinions of the NHL’s top agents, check out the rest of The Athletic’s survey results.

  • One high-profile agent could soon be changing his allegiance from the player side to the team side. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that Brett Peterson of Acme World Sports is in talks to join former colleague Bill Zito with the Florida Panthers. Zito, recently named GM himself, already added one fellow former player agent in Paul Krepelka as an assistant GM but could fill the other AGM vacancy with Peterson. The Boston College grad has over a decade in the business, having joined Acme back in 2009.
  • The agent for top 2021 prospect Brandt Clarke is reportedly trying to get creative. Clarke, a real candidate to go first overall in next year’s NHL Draft, is currently without a place to play as he waits for the OHL to kick off in February. Wanting as much exposure this year as possible, Swedish source Expressen writes that Clarke is considering a move to Vasby IK of the minor league Allsvenskan for the time being until he can return to the Barrie Colts. The elite two-way right-handed defenseman would step into an immediate top role with Vasby, even as he makes his pro debut, as the club is dead last in the Allsvenskan and desperate for help. In what could prove to be a savvy move by his agent, if Clarke can help turn the struggling Vasby club around, it could provide the boost to his draft stock that lands him at No. 1.

Snapshots: Darling, Power, Reverse Retro

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Florida Panthers may have some more goaltending competition in training camp (whenever that is), as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that Scott Darling has agreed to a professional tryout with the team. Darling, 31, last played in the NHL during the 2018-19 season and spent last year in Austria playing for Innsbruck HC. Once one of the most reliable backups in the league, his play fell off a cliff after signing a multi-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes.

If Darling has signed a PTO, he would be the first player to do so for the upcoming season, but certainly not the last. The free agent market has come to a screeching halt with teams barely able to afford their own young RFAs, let alone add any money from the open market. That may leave some fringe NHL options without a deal, leaving tryouts their only real option in North America.

  • Hockey Canada has announced that Owen Power will not be released from the University of Michigan hockey program to attend its month-long development camp that starts next week, though this is certainly not a straightforward situation. Just yesterday, as Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald points out, Michigan agreed to release Power for the tournament, just not in mid-November as their season is about to start. The Wolverines are set to start their schedule on the same day, November 14, as the camp opens. Power, a 17-year-old defenseman that already stands 6’5″ 214-lbs is one of the top prospects eligible for the 2021 draft, but his actual chances of making the Canadian roster already seemed limited given the older, more experienced talent that will be attending the camp.
  • While jersey news certainly isn’t what hockey fans are dying for right now, it doesn’t mean they weren’t excited when they saw Adidas “Reverse Retro” teaser today. Each team in the league will be introducing a jersey from their past, with modern additions for the upcoming season. SportsLogos.net has put together a video breaking down their expectations for each jersey after the teaser came out.

Weegar: Agent Advised Of Trade Talks Leading Up To His New Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • While the Panthers were able to avoid arbitration with defenseman MacKenzie Weegar last week, things weren’t always headed in that direction. Speaking with reporters today including David Dwork of WPLG (Twitter link), the blueliner acknowledged that he had heard from his agent a couple of times to advise that a trade may be in the works.  Weegar had acknowledged his frustration with the status of talks although in the end, they were able to agree on a three-year deal worth $9.75MM in total that bought out two years of UFA eligibility.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top