Panthers Training Camp Notebook: D-Pairs Are Fluid, Top 6 Takes Shape & More
The Florida Panthers’ roster battle for spots on the blueline is fluid, with a focus on getting the newcomers up to speed.
Photo by Colby Guy
One of the biggest questions surrounding the Florida Panthers is what their defense is going to look like on opening night.
And finding the answer to that question is going to require just a bit of patience.
Going into training camp, the Panthers are not putting together any pairings that resemble what their opening night roster could look like. Their philosophy for the first few days is to put their veterans next to the newcomers to get them up to speed.
“There’s a whole bunch of different reasons,” Maurice said of his philosophy behind the defense pairings. “For some guys, it’s to put a couple of Swedes together, for some guys, it’s out of necessity whether they’re a natural defenseman on the left or the right.
“We’re going to go through the first exhibitions game, probably with those pairs intact. Then, I’m not saying there is not a long-term plan, but we’re not cemented to anything there for the long term. We’ll re-adjust those guys back to what we think their pairs would be.”
One of the most intriguing pairings of the bunch has star shutdown man Gustav Forsling paired with offensively-skilled youngster Adam Boqvist, but Maurice said that Forsling will more than likely return to Aaron Ekblad’s side when the pairings re-adjust.
It doesn’t mean it is not a valuable experience for Boqvist.
“He looked really good,” Forsling said. “I think he seems to be in good shape and he is a very skilled guy. So, it will be fun to see him out there for sure.“
But more importantly, for all of the guys paired with veterans, is learning the system and having someone like Forsling who has seemed to master it will only be beneficial for Boqvist.
As it will for Tobias Bjornfot, who is paired with Ekblad, and Mikulas Hovorka, who is paired with Nikko Miikkola.
“It’s a mentorship there, too, with the young players,” Maurice said. “There’s a lot of things that I think, on the defensive side, that [assistant coach] Sylvain Lefebrve does differently. So, some of this stuff is new and we have maybe a different way of how we do rush defense than other teams.
“You can show video and talk them through it, but they need to be able to talk to somebody on the boards who has experience with it. Like ‘Should I have gone or not?’’ And if a coach can’t get to him, that’s a learning opportunity lost. So, we like to put those guys with veterans who can answer their questions.”
Top Six Returning With Familiar Flavor
Through the first two practices of training camp, the Florida Panthers seem set to keep their bottom six the same as it was when they won the Cup.
And why change it?
“Our group is basically the same with a little more experience, so it’s great to have all those guys that went through it last year and the year before,” Sam Bennett said. “We know how difficult it is and how hard it is to win, so it’s great to have everyone back here.”
The top line of Carter Verhaeghe, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart was one they ran very often throughout the season. They know what they’re getting from a line featuring two of the best two-way forwards in the game and a bonafide goal scorer.
Their second line is a bit more interesting. Evan Rodrigues was a late addition to that line with Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk during the playoffs and he shined on it during the Stanley Cup Final. He led all Panthers players in goals (4) and points (7) in the series.
“Me and Chucky instantly found great chemistry with him,” Bennett said. “He’s a great player and I think he compliments our game really well with his speed, his shot and his playmaking ability. He’s got all those tools and I’m looking forward to getting a chance to play with him a little longer and build that chemistry.”
Panthers Expect Fans to Bring Energy During Saturday’s Fan Fest
On Saturday, the Panthers will take the ice in front of fans for the first time since their Game 7 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
After weeks of skating in empty rinks, getting themselves back in shape for Maurice’s rigorous training camp, having the fans in the building to cheer them on will help put some wind in their sails before their preseason-opening doubleheader against the Nashville Predators on Sunday.
“It will be good to get the fans in here and get some energy from them,” Gustav Forsling said. “We’ll need it out there. It’s very hard practicing, so we’ll need their energy here.”
The Panthers will welcome fans to their Training Camp Fan Fest on Saturday, Sept. 21 at Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale. Fans can watch practice from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with festivities lasting up until 6 p.m.
Some of those festivities include free skating lessons, a “Learn to Curl” session, and appearances from mascots Stanley C. Panther and Viktor E. Ratt.