Having made two reassignments (Jayce Hawryluk & Juho Lammikko) from the initial camp roster of 51 in recent days, the Florida Panthers got into serious Training Camp mode following a pair of losses in a split-squad event on Saturday from Nashville when less than a day later an additional 10 players were sent to AHL San Antonio.
The Rampage, which opens its own camp Monday, will welcome forwards Connor Brickley, Steven Hodges, John McFarland, Brett Olson, Logan Shaw, defensemen Josh McFadden, Jonathan Racine, Shayne Taker, and goaltenders Sam Brittain and Michael Houser. Additional “cuts” will of course continue as Florida closes in on Opening Night, October 9, from Tampa Bay.
2010 Panthers draft pick Joe Basaraba and blueliner Joshua Brown were released from their tryouts with the Cats but immediately invited to San Antonio’s camp. Where they would have headed anyway had Florida retained them; both are in search of contracts.
These actions trim the Panthers’ roster down to 37 heading into Monday’s action versus the Dallas Stars in Texas (8:30 pm; no TV/no radio/no feed/no dice/no ask).
In other organizational news, Florida waived forwards Bobby Butler, Joey Crabb, Ryan Martindale, Garrett Wilson, defenseman Greg Zanon, and to no one’s surprise goaltender Dan Ellis, who with a year remaining on his own deal is probably headed to the Rampage at high noon Monday.
Current Florida camp roster is here.
While we have your attention, someone’s attention should have been scoping this USA TODAY photo from the Dallas game last week…
Actual published caption as follows, unedited:
Sep 24, 2014; Sunrise, FL, USA; Dallas Stars goalie Jussi Rynnas (40) scores the game winning goal agianst Florida Panthers center Dave Bolland (63) in a shoot out in overtime at BB&T Center. The Stars won 4-3 in a shoot out. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
Bolland still rocking an absurdly high GAA and save percentage but at least the “shoot out” remains played in overtime. Agianst all odds, certainly.