Training camp is over and after posting 2-0-2 record during the truncated preseason, the Florida Panthers are ready to start the 2026-27 regular season “Revenge Tour.”
On Sunday, the Panthers signed forward Nathan Bastian to a one-year, two-way deal worth $850K at the NHL level. Props to Bastian for coming to camp on a PTO and earning a contract.
The team also placed Bastian and the following seven players – forwards Cole Reinhardt and Cole Schwindt, John Beecher, Sam Lafferty and Kai Schwindt and defensemen Donovan Sebrango and Alex Petrovic – on waivers to get them to the Charlotte Checkers.
Defensemen Tobais Björnfot and Casey Fitzgerald, and forward Angus Crookshank cleared waivers yesterday and will report to Checkers training camp.
The spate of weekend moves has tough forward Bokondji Imana somewhat surprisingly on the current roster. A sign that Jonah Gadjovich isn’t coming back anytime soon.
Once Gadjovich and Brad Marchand, who is expected to be out until early November, are officially placed on injured reserve, I would expect the Panthers to recall another forward as they currently only 12 healthy bodies to man the front lines.
As expected, Uvis Balinskis made the team as the seventh defenseman.
Florida will open the season against the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center in Raleigh on Tuesday in the first of three opening-night games on ESPN. Time to serve some notice.