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Saturday Offseason Caterwaul: Florida Panthers Open Forum

Posted on by Todd Little

Florida Panthers prospect Logan Hutsko scored two goals in Boston College’s 4-3 home ice win over Connecticut. The Cats’ third-rounder from the 2018 draft finished the game with five shots on goal, one block, and +1 rating. He took a tipping minor early in the third period that led to a Huskies score. Hutsko, a senior, currently leads the 5-0 Eagles in assists (6) and points (9). His three goals are tied for tops on the team with four other players.

Carter Berger, a defenseman taken in the fourth round in 2019, made his first appearance of the season for 0-2-1 Connecticut. Berger blocked a shot and finished the tilt with a -1 rating.

In the ECHL, unsigned 2016 Panthers seventh round draft pick Ben Finkelstein scored twice, the game-tying and the game-winning markers, in the Greenville Swamp Rabbits season-opening 3-2 overtime win over in-state rivals, the South Carolina Stingrays. Finkelstein had four shots on goal and finished with an even rating in his pro debut.

Ryan Bednard got the start for the Swamp Rabbits and finished the game with 25 saves on 27 shots faced.

Unsigned Florida draft picks Matt Wedman and Karch Bachman also made their professional debuts. Wedman picked up an assist on Greenville’s first goal and registered two shots on net and an even rating. Bachman had one shot on goal and finished the tilt with a -1 rating.

Important to note that Finkelstein, Wedman and Bachman are not signed to entry-level contracts with the Panthers despite playing in the organization.

Over in Europe, Justin Schutz scored his first goal of the season in EC Red Bull Salzburg’s 3-2 overtime win over the Dornbirn Bulldogs in Austria’s ICE Hockey League. Schutz put Red Bull ahead 2-1 with a power-play marker in the second period. He finished the game with three shots on goal, 4 PIM, and a -2 rating. Schutz now has 8 points (1G/7A) in 15 games played. Former Panther Jack Skille also scored for Red Bull.

In the KHL, Emil Djuse tallied a goal and an assist in Spartak Moscow’s 4-3 loss to Severstal Cherepovets. Djuse finished the game with five shots, a block, and +1 rating in 20:44 TOI. He drew the primary assist on Sergei Shirokov’s game-opening goal and then scored with 6:59 left in regulation to pull Spartak within one. Djuse has produced 16 points (3G/13A) in 24 games this season.

Vladislav Kolyachonok played 14:17, put two shots on goal, and finished with a -2 rating in Dinamo Minsk’s 7-2 loss to Ak Bars. Kolyachonok, a second-rounder in 2019, has appeared in 31 KHL games this season and has scored one goal and three assists.

Alec Rauhauser made his 12th Tipos Extraliga appearance of the season in DVTK Polar Bears 5-4 loss to HKM Zloven. Rauhauser has produced three goals and three assists for the Hungarian-based club.

And finally… Anton Lundell and Kasper Puutio have made Finland’s entry to the upcoming World Junior Championship, joining fellow Florida prospects Spencer Knight (USA), Devon Levi (Canada) and Emil Heineman (Sweden). Big congrats to those guys!

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