SUNRISE, Fla. — Twenty-four prospects made their way on the ice in front of Panthers coaching staff, hoping for a chance to prove they belong.
“It’s been so good,” said Panthers prospect forward, Linus Eriksson. "I like it being a bit of a smaller group. Get a bit more individual. Both off the ice and on the ice, it’s been a great few days.”
For fans, they made their way to the ice, excited to see if one of these future stars will find a spot on the roster.
“You see the difference between the players and some players stick out more than others,” said Panthers fan James Desmond. "Eriksson is just all over the place today. Busch, he’s good. There’s a lot of talent out there. It’s really putting them to the test.”
July 1 also brought some big news with free agency, as it allows certain players to hit the open market, including Sergei Bobrovsky.
As General Manager Bill Zito informed us, them picking up Jacob Markstrom means Bob will be heading out, as he signed a three-year deal with Toronto.
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“I’ve known him for a long long time,” said Zito. "Not just on the ice but his contribution to the community. There’s a lot of things that he did that aren’t public. His charitable things that he did. I appreciate everything they’ve done for our organization.”
We’ve seen plenty of moves for the Panthers so far and one thing this team wants to do is keep the players they have.
The Cats have finalized a new deal with Eetu Luostarinen for an eight-year, $5 million AAV; Radko Gudas for six years, $1.5 million AAV; Sandis Vilmanis to a two-year extension; kept Cole Schwindt for two years and picked up Alexander Petrovic on a two-year deal.
They're keeping this organization a desired destination in the NHL, and Zito said this group is itching to hit the ice.
“Yeah it’s on,” said Zito. "The boys are back, everyone is ready to go. At any given day the gym is packed with guys working out. Just seems like a little bit of a zip, a little life. Coach likes to use the word juice. There’s some juice now.”
