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Florida Panthers Player News: All Positions
MacKenzie
Weegar
FLA
Rotowire:
Jul 22, 11:38a ET
News: Weegar signed a one-year, $1.6 million contract with Florida on Monday, CapFriendly reports.
Impact: Weegar set career highs last season in nearly all categories, including games played (64), goals (four), assists (11) and shots (79). The addition of Anton Stralman (lower body) will likely prevent the 25-year-old Weegar from taking on a top-4 role, but he should be in contention to play a full 82-game schedule, which would likely allow him to push for the 20-point mark.
Rotowire:
Jul 22, 9:15a ET
News: Balisy put pen to paper on a one-year contract with Straubing (DEL) on Sunday.
Impact: Balisy couldn't break into the Senators' lineup last season, instead playing in 76 games for AHL Belleville, in which he tallied seven goals and 15 helpers. The Western Michigan University product was taken in the sixth round of the 2011 NHL Draft following a four-year collegiate career. At this point, the 27-year-old will likely see his NHL career come to an end having logged eight games for the Panthers in which he failed to register a point.
Ian
McCoshen
FLA
Rotowire:
Jul 22, 8:50a ET
News: McCoshen inked a one-year, two-way contract with Florida on Monday.
Impact: McCoshen saw action in just 19 games for the Panthers last season, in which he recorded one goal, one assist and 15 shots while averaging a meager 13:19 of ice time. In the minors, the 23-year-old notched nine assists and 49 PIM in 38 contests. Without a guaranteed spot on the 23-man roster, McCoshen won't offer much in terms of fantasy value this season, though his limited offensive upside likely makes him a low-end option anyway.
Dryden
Hunt
FLA
Rotowire:
Jul 17, 11:49a ET
News: Hunt signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Panthers on Wednesday.
Impact: Hunt spent most of the 2018-19 season in the minors, racking up 23 goals and 44 points in 51 games, but he also made 31 appearances with the big club, notching three goals and 10 points over that span. The 23-year-old forward will likely have a similar role in 2019-20, so there's no reason for fantasy owners to keep tabs on him at this point.
Rotowire:
Jul 17, 11:43a ET
News: Schemitsch earned a one-year, two-way contract from Florida on Wednesday.
Impact: Schemitsch set career highs this season in assists (15) and points (24), but still wasn't able to earn a call-up. The blueliner is still looking to make his NHL debut, which could be difficult with Josh Brown and Ian McCoshen likely both ahead of him on the organization's depth chart.
Rotowire:
Jul 17, 7:38a ET
News: Montembeault signed a one-year, two-way contract with Florida on Monday, CapFriendly reports.
Impact: Montembeault spent the majority of the 2018-19 season in the minors, compiling a 13-24-3 record while posting a 3.24 GAA and .899 save percentage in 39 games, but he also made 11 appearances with the big club, posting a 4-3-2 record while registering a 3.04 GAA and .894 save percentage over that span. The 2015 third-round pick is expected to serve as Sergei Bobrovsky's backup for the entirety of the 2019-20 campaign, which means he could make upwards of 20 starts in his first full season with the Panthers.
Jayce
Hawryluk
FLA
Rotowire:
Jul 17, 7:31a ET
News: Hawryluk signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Panthers on Monday, CapFriendly reports.
Impact: Hawryluk actually spent the majority of the 2018-19 campaign with the big club, notching seven goals and 12 points in 42 contests, but he also appeared in 31 games with AHL Springfield, adding eight goals and 32 points over that span. The 23-year-old forward will likely once again split time between the NHL and the minors in 2019-20, so there's no reason for fantasy owners to have him on their radars.
Dominic
Toninato
FLA
Rotowire:
Jul 15, 12:10p ET
News: Toninato penned a one-year, two-way deal with Florida on Monday.
Impact: Toninato was acquired by the Panthers from the Avalanche after struggling to break into the lineup last season. Minutes won't be any easier for the Duluth native to come by this year, though a move to center could help him earn a more permanent spot in the lineup.
Anthony
Greco
FLA
Rotowire:
Jul 15, 12:06p ET
News: Greco inked a one-year, two-way contract with Florida on Monday.
Impact: Greco played in just one game for the Panthers last season in which he notched two shots and a minus-3 rating while logging just 9:30 of ice time. In the minors, the 25-year-old was on fire, as he racked up 30 goals and 29 helpers in 75 outings for AHL Springfield. If he can continue to produce with the Thunderbirds, it won't be long before the winger earns a spot on the 23-man roster.
Juho
Lammikko
FLA
Rotowire:
Jul 15, 6:55a ET
News: Lammikko penned a one-year contract with Finnish club Karpat on Friday.
Impact: Lammikko was given a qualifying offer by the Panthers, but it appears the 23-year-old would rather head overseas. Considering the winger played in 40 games for the Panthers last season, in which he notched six assists, six PIM and 39 shots, it's a little surprising to see him not try to force his way into the 23-man roster. Lammikko could still return to the NHL after his year in Finland.
Kevin
Roy
FLA
Rotowire:
Jul 08, 1:18p ET
News: Roy signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Panthers on Monday.
Impact: The 26-year-old forward will likely function as organizational depth for the Panthers' AHL affiliate in Springfield after seeing his most of his action in 2018-19 in the minors. As a member of the Ducks organization last season, Roy appeared in just three games at the NHL level and eight with AHL San Diego.
News: Massie signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Panthers on Monday.
Impact: The 22-year-old defenseman was originally selected by the Hurricanes in the sixth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, but opted to forgo the professional ranks and honored his commitment to the University of Vermont. Massie wrapped up his three-year career with the Catamounts with 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) across 95 games. Expect him to spend most of his first professional campaign in 2019-20 with AHL Springfield.
MacKenzie
Weegar
FLA
Rotowire:
Jul 06, 7:57a ET
News: Weegar filed for salary arbitration Friday.
Impact: Weegar collected 15 points for the Panthers last season while logging 16:58 of ice time per night. Should he and Florida fail to reach an agreement on a new deal, it will fall into the hands of a neutral arbitrator.
Joel
Lowry
FLA
Rotowire:
Jul 03, 7:01a ET
News: Lowry inked a one-year, two-way contract with Florida on Wednesday.
Impact: Lowry was selected by the Kings in the fifth round of the 2011 NHL Draft, but was never able to break out of the minors. The 27-year-old spent the 2018-19 campaign playing for AHL Springfield on an AHL-only contract, but his 30 points in 55 games was enough to earn him an NHL deal. Even with a contract in hand, the winger probably will struggle to earn a call-up this year.
Rotowire:
Jul 02, 5:55p ET
News: Desrosiers signed a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Panthers on Tuesday, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.
Impact: Desrosiers' services almost certainly won't be needed at the NHL level with Florida also signing Sergei Bobrovsky in free agency and drafting Spencer Knight in the first round.
Ethan
Prow
PIT
Rotowire:
Jul 01, 3:38p ET
News: Prow inked a two-year, two-way deal with the Panthers on Monday.
Impact: Prow is coming off a breakout campaign with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, racking up 18 goals and 50 points. With no NHL experience, the 26-year-old blueliner should start next season with AHL Springfield.
Tommy
Cross
CBJ
Rotowire:
Jul 01, 3:35p ET
News: Cross agreed to sign a two-year, two-way contract with the Panthers on Monday.
Impact: Cross spent the entire 2018-19 season in the Columbus system, racking up 34 points in 73 AHL contests. The 29-year-old will likely provide organizational depth next season, and beyond, as he's suited up in just three games at the NHL level in his six-year professional career.
Noel
Acciari
FLA
Rotowire:
Jul 01, 11:54a ET
News: Acciari (chest) inked a three-year, $5 million contract with the Panthers on Monday, Joe Haggerty of NBCSportsBoston.com reports.
Impact: Acciari spent the first four seasons of his career with the Bruins, totaling 18 goals and 31 points while racking up 505 hits in 180 games. The 28-year-old forward will add some grit to the Panthers' bottom six, but he won't produce enough offense to warrant consideration in most fantasy settings. Acciari played through a broken sternum during Boston's playoff run, but he should be ready for training camp.
Sergei
Bobrovsky
FLA
Rotowire:
Jul 01, 10:07a ET
News: Bobrovsky signed a seven-year, $70 million contract with the Panthers on Monday.
Impact: This deal makes Bobrovsky the second highest paid goaltender in the NHL behind Carey Price, and for good reason, as he's been one of the best backstops in the league since joining Columbus in 2012-13, compiling a 213-130-27 record while maintaining a 2.41 GAA and .921 save percentage through 374 appearances spread over seven seasons. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner will be 37 years old by the time his contract with Florida is up, and he'll almost certainly have declined by then, but the Panthers are trying to compete for a Stanley Cup now, so they'll worry about the long-term ramifications of this deal later. Bobrovsky will remain a high-end fantasy option for the foreseeable future, and should be one of the first netminder's selected in this year's drafts.
Brett
Connolly
FLA
Rotowire:
Jul 01, 9:57a ET
News: Connolly signed a four-year, $14 million deal with the Panthers on Monday, Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Impact: Connolly's coming off what was by far the best season of his career. He posted 22 goals and 46 points for the Capitals, breaking 30 points for the first time. He'll likely slot in on the third line for a Panthers team that's not hurting for forward depth.
Scott
Darling
CAR
Rotowire:
Jun 30, 9:44a ET
News: Darling was traded to the Panthers with a 2020 sixth-round pick in exchange for James Reimer on Sunday, Bob McKenzie of TSN reports.
Impact: Darling was already looking at a potential buyout negotiation with the Hurricanes, and is expected to face the same process with the Panthers. This past season, the 30-year-old netminder was demoted to the minors before ultimately deciding to step away from the game entirely in an attempt to regroup mentally. Pending buyout negotiations with Darling, the Panthers will be without a netminder on the NHL roster after Roberto Luongo chose to retire this offseason.
Dominic
Toninato
FLA
Rotowire:
Jun 29, 8:37a ET
News: The Avalanche traded Toninato to the Panthers on Saturday in exchange for Jacob MacDonald, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.
Impact: Despite extending him a qualifying offer, it appears the Avalanche are looking for more help along the blue line instead. Toninato should be given a shot at cracking the Panthers' Opening Night roster, but it's certainly far from a given.
Roberto
Luongo
FLA
Rotowire:
Jun 26, 11:27a ET
News: Luongo will call it a career after 19 years in the NHL, the team announced Wednesday.
Impact: Luongo hangs up his skates having appeared in 1,044 games for the Islanders, Canucks and Panthers. Selected with the fourth overall pick in the 1997 NHL Draft, the veteran logged over 70-plus games in four seasons, something that is unlikely to happen again in today's NHL. The world-class netminder will no doubt garner consideration for the Hall of Fame, as he ends his career with a 489-392-124 record, .919 save percentage and 2.52 GAA.
MacKenzie
Weegar
FLA
Rotowire:
Jun 26, 7:49a ET
News: Weegar was qualified by Florida on Tuesday.
Impact: Weegar is the biggest name on the Panthers' list of qualifying offers. The 24-year-old missed some time due to injury this past season, but saw his ice time jump to 16:58 per game when he was in the lineup. The Ottawa native figures to be a near lock for the Opening Night roster versus Tampa Bay on Oct. 3 and could push for the 20-point mark.
Rotowire:
Jun 26, 7:46a ET
News: Schemitsch was tendered a qualifying offer by the Panthers on Tuesday.
Impact: Schemitsch was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract coming out of the OHL and has spent his entire deal playing in the minors. The blueliner tallied nine goals and 15 assists in 56 games for the Thunderbirds last season, but failed to earn a call-up. It's likely to be more of the same for the 22-year-old this year, as his chances of breaking into the NHL seem rather slim given the organization's depth on the blue line.
Rotowire:
Jun 26, 7:42a ET
News: Montembeault received a qualifying offer from Florida on Tuesday.
Impact: Despite a crowded group of goaltenders, the Panthers clearly aren't ready to part ways with Montembeault. The 22-year-old figures to split time with Chris Driedger in the AHL, though how the club handles James Reimer or whether it lands a free-agent netminder will determine where Montembeault starts the 2019-20 campaign.
Ian
McCoshen
FLA
Rotowire:
Jun 26, 7:37a ET
News: McCoshen was handed a qualifying offer by the Panthers on Tuesday.
Impact: Since joining Florida out of college, McCoshen has consistently been a fringe player on the 23-man roster, splitting time between leagues. The 2013 second-round pick saw action in a mere 19 games this season, in which he notched a pair of points. The 23-year-old won't ever be an offensive stud, which limits his fantasy value even in deeper formats that factor in hits and blocks.
Denis
Malgin
FLA
Rotowire:
Jun 26, 7:30a ET
News: Malgin earned a qualifying offer from the Panthers on Tuesday.
Impact: Malgin dealt with a pair of injuries during the 2018-19 campaign that limited him to just 50 games. As a result, the center failed to reach the 20-point mark this season, but should be capable of hitting that mark in 2019-20. The 21-year-old is unlikely to ever be a 20-goal scorer, but can provide decent value in deeper fantasy formats.
Juho
Lammikko
FLA
Rotowire:
Jun 26, 7:19a ET
News: Lammikko was given a qualifying offer by the Panthers on Tuesday.
Impact: Lammikko is still looking for his first NHL goal, after logging 40 games for Florida last season. The winger's numbers in the AHL aren't terrible, but also won't instill a ton of confidence among fantasy owners, as he managed a mere 18 points in 36 games. The 23-year-old's qualifying offer would earn him $715,000 on a two-way deal.
Dryden
Hunt
FLA
Rotowire:
Jun 26, 7:11a ET
News: Hunt was qualified by the Panthers on Tuesday.
Impact: Hunt's strong minor-league campaign, 23 goals and 21 assists in 51 games, likely served to convince team brass to keep him along a while longer. The winger also logged 31 contests in the NHL, in which he put up 10 points, 53 shots and 65 hits. Under the terms of his qualifying offer, the 22-year-old would earn $813,750 on a two-way deal.
Jayce
Hawryluk
FLA
Rotowire:
Jun 26, 7:08a ET
News: Hawryluk was tendered a qualifying offer by Florida on Tuesday.
Impact: Hawryluk split time between the AHL and NHL last season, appearing in 42 games for the Panthers, in which he notched seven goals, five assists and 16 PIM. The 23-year-old will likely continue to be a fringe player heading into the 2019-20 campaign, but could earn a bump in minutes with a strong showing at training camp.
Anthony
Greco
FLA
Rotowire:
Jun 26, 7:05a ET
News: Greco received a qualifying offer from the Panthers on Tuesday.
Impact: Greco played in just one game for Florida last season, in which he registered two shots and a minus-3 rating while averaging a mere 9:30 of ice time. The forward produced significantly better in the minors, where he tallied 30 goals and 29 helpers in 75 appearances for the Thunderbirds. If he signs his offer, Greco's deal will be a one-year, two-way contract worth $715,000.
News: Schwindt was drafted 81st overall by the Panthers at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
Impact: Florida has had a really strange draft and this was another baffling selection. Schwindt possesses good size (6-foot-3, 175 pounds) and his effort level is strong, but he has never displayed a whole lot of offensive ability during his OHL career and his ceiling would seem to be that of a bottom-six energy player. There were countless better players on the board.
News: Ludvig was drafted 69th overall by the Panthers at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
Impact: This was a strange, strange pick for Florida as Ludvig didn't appear to be on the radar at this point in the draft. He doesn't bring much offense to the table (25 points in 109 career WHL games) and he isn't overly physical despite having decent (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) size. It's difficult to understand what the Panthers were thinking with this one given all the quality of players left on the board.
News: Kolyachonok was drafted 52nd overall by the Panthers at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
Impact: Kolyachonok spent the entire season making the best of a bad situation. After deciding to leave his native Belarus for the OHL powerhouse London Knights, Kolyachonok was waived by the Knights not long after arriving and spent the entire season playing for Flint, arguably the worst organization in all the CHL. Kolyachonok could have packed it in and returned home, but he stuck around and had a successful season (29 points in 53 games) for a terrible club. Kolyachonok, who boasts a nice combination of size (6-foot-2, 180 pounds) and skill, might have been a fringe first-rounder had he ended up somewhere other than Flint. This was a wise gamble by Florida in the later stages of Round 2.
News: Knight was drafted 13th overall by the Panthers at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft on Friday.
Impact: Knight is the top goaltending prospect in the 2019 draft. He's big, talented and poised, and reminds a lot of people of Carey Price. But Knight didn't put up the kind of dominant season you'd expect from a guy considered 'can't miss.' His U.S. National Development Program coach says Knight is the "best goaltending athlete USA Hockey has ever seen." That's heady praise. He's headed to Boston College for 2019-20. It remains to be seen if Knight will become Price-like or more like Jack Campbell. Wait on drafting him in your dynasty leagues, unless you can hold him without penalty. Younger goalies are starting to make their marks in the NHL, but he's still years away.
Rotowire:
May 28, 8:11a ET
News: Abols agreed to terms on a two-year, entry-level contract with Florida on Tuesday.
Impact: Abols nothced 18 goals and eight helpers in 45 games for Orebro HL (SHL) last season. The 23-year-old -- who was drafted by the Canucks in the seventh round of the 2016 NHL Draft -- figures to join the Panthers for training camp, but will likely have to spend the year in the minors adjusting his game to the North American style of play.
