Hockey has returned to the Sunshine State in the form of the rookie development camp that kicks off today in Coral Springs at the Panthers Ice Den and runs to September 14th!
via GIFER
The event is unfortunately closed to the public, but I imagine we’ll be getting plenty of updates via the Panthers’ site and various social media outlets.
The big three at camp will be Denisenko, Knight and Lundell - with the latter getting a big push in the PR department when he was given the honors of throwing out the first pitch at a recent Marlins game after arriving in Florida.
I expect Lundell will stand out amongst the group. Based on his play overseas, he will probably look like an NHLer amongst prospects. Shoot, many experts are predicting Lundell will be starting this season with the Cats on the third or fourth line. Can’t wait to see what he does these next few days and into the tournament next week!
As a reminder,
Litter Box Cats posted all the rookies who will be at camp (complete with their numbers):
Forwards:
Eric Alarie, Karch (91)
Bachman (85)
Henry Bowlby (41)
Grigori Denisenko (14)
Logan Hutsko (89)
Anton Lundell (15)
Justin Nachbaur (54)
Serron Noel (18)
Simon Pinard (78)
Cole Schwindt (79)
Justin Sourdif (24)
Connor Trenholm (75)
Trevor Wong (84)
Note: I totally forgot about Serron Noel. I wonder how he’ll look…
Defensemen:
Frédéric Brunet (47)
Robert Calisti (38)
Max Gildon (88)
Braden Haché (6)
Matt Kiersted (8)
Jacob LeGuerrier (36)
John Ludvig (53)
Evan Nause (12)
Note: Looking forward to getting news about Kiersted, Gildon and Ludvig
Goaltenders:
Spencer Knight (30)
Olivier Adam (60)
Tye Austin (60)
Note: Not sure who this Knight kid is but there seems to be a lot of buzz around him…
Who are you guys looking to hearing about the most?
Five Questions
As we inch closer to the season’s start, NHL asked
five questions the Panthers.
I encourage you to head over to the article and read their questions and responses. And if you’re still reading this blog, I thought it would be fun to take a stab at the questions and weigh in with my own thoughts.
1. Is Spencer Knight ready for more?
Yes. But let’s not jump the gun.
Knight showed great poise and skill with his 4-0-0 record and looked solid in the two playoff games where he went 1-1. I’m just not ready to anoint him as the “savior” in the blue paint for Florida. I believe many people are clamoring for him to be the #1 because of Bob’s struggles and the horrid contract that come with it.
The reality is that Knight is 20 and still has a lot to learn at the highest level. He will be prone to the mistakes every rookie/young player makes. I’d like to see him in a true backup role this season. Let him learn from Bob, Lu and that goalie school the Cats are proud of. When he gets his starts, make sure he makes the most of them and learns from each night.
In my opinion it should be clear heading into this season that Bob is the starter and Knight is the backup.
End of discussion.
If Knight pushes his case and wins the spot, then so be it, but let it happen organically. One of the things that bothered me last year was the Three Stooges act of Bob, Driedger and Knight. The whole thing made no sense to me and the more I examine it now that the season has ended, the more it annoys me.
Bouncing back-and-forth between Bob and Driedger without a clear #1 throughout the regular season was frustrating. Yes, Driedger outplayed Bob a lot last year, but neither seemed to ever really be the starter. And I know it was a weird, condensed season, but the brass continued floating the idea of a prodigy waiting in the wings with Knight and I think it became a distraction. It also had the fans discombobulated (well…at least I was).
Don’t get me wrong, the organization and fans should be very excited about Knight, he’s the future, but the present (at the time) was Bob and Driedger. Mixing Knight in was just too much too much.
That brings me to my last point…I think the PR team should be very careful in how they market Knight. I’m reminded of when the Hawks were building up the Teravainen wagon. They billed him as the second coming of Kane and had fans thinking the two would light the league on fire, etc. Then what happened? Teravainen just didn’t work out in Chicago. the reality was he was put in a tough spot being compared to a prodigy like Kane - an impossible position to succeed in.
While Knight looks like he has a lot of the attributes to be great, I would encourage fans to be realistic and let this guy develop his skill/craft at the NHL level. The expectations are already insane. I just don’t want to go through a whole season where if Bob let’s up a goal or has a bad night we’ll have to constantly hear from people that Knight needs to be the starter…
2. Is Aaron Ekblad 100 percent?
We know he’s been skating and we have to rely on Zito’s word that he expects him to be ready for training camp. I guess we have to wait until camp starts to get a better idea of where he’s at physically and mentally. I’m really curious about his conditioning at this point.
Certainly hoping he’s ready to go, but if not, the other blueliners will need to step up until he’s ready.
3. What will Joe Thornton bring?
Experience. Skill. Wisdom.
Jumbo isn’t some random journeyman that’s played for 15 teams. He’s a future HoFer with a wealth of knowledge and 1,680 games under his belt.
Like Bill Lindsay said, the Cats basically signed a player/coach for league minimum (nothing). He’s going to be great in the locker room for this team (especially younger players) and will most likely play on and off - which should keep him fresh. When he is in, he can play on any line and while his scoring prowess has faded over the years, he’s adjusted his game to stay relevant by developing his defensive side. This ability to generate defense from the front end should take some of that responsibility away from Barky and help #16 focus on generating more offense.
The best part of this signing? He really wants to be here.
4. Can they build off last season?
Yes. There’s no other option.
Removing Yandle and adding Reinhart and Thornton has made these guys better and should prepare them to compete in a non-COVID season. If they don’t improve then it’s bag skates all summer!
5. Can Anthony Duclair have a career season?
I feel he’s building towards a big year. As the NHL article mentioned, he was fifth on the Cats with 32 points (10 G, 22 A) in 43 games.
His speed is his greatest asset - as it puts defenses on their heels and often catches them flat-footed, but I also think it can sometimes work against him. He had a lot of trouble finishing last year, often missing the net or botching opportunities in close. If he can let his hands catch up to his legs, I think he’ll set himself up for success, as well as be able to setup teammates more efficiently.
With his natural talent, and the guys around him, I don’t see why Duclair won’t light it up this year.
Weegar the Thief
I’m not sure if you guys saw this but it’s awesome. Go, Weegs!
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Hope you guys have a nice weekend…as always, Go Panthers!
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