The Florida Panthers will hit the ice as a full team and coaching staff for the first time since mid-March as the NHL begins formal training camps today for the 24 teams participating in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
As the NHL moves into Phase 3 of its Return to Play plan with the opening of training camps across North America, there will now be up to 30 players and also an unlimited number of goaltenders allowed at Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs.
Florida’s training camp roster includes 16 forwards, 10 defensemen and four goaltenders.
Seven players from the AHL Springfield Thunderbirds were added to the roster. Forwards Owen Tippett, Dryden Hunt and Eetu Luostarinen; defenseman Chase Priskie and Brady Keeper; and goaltenders Sam Montembeault and Philippe Desrosiers.
The Panthers will head to the Eastern Conference hub in Toronto on July 26 before they play Game 1 of a best-of-five Qualification Round series against the New York Islanders.
According to NHL.com, Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is among the prominent players who could benefit from a fresh start.
Bobrovsky, who signed a massive seven-year, $70 million contract last July, was 23-19-6 with an NHL career-low 3.23 goals-against average and .900 save percentage, the second-worst of his career, in 50 games this season.