The Florida Panthers made their final roster adjustments, sending a slew of players to their AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.
Before the 5 p.m. NHL roster deadline, the Florida Panthers assigned a slew of players to the Charlotte Checkers, including several who cleared waivers.
Among those joining the Checkers in the AHL after clearing waivers are Nathan Bastian, John Beecher, Sam Lafferty, Alexander Petrovic, Cole Reinhardt, Cole Schwindt, Kai Schwindt, and Donovan Sebrango.
Among those who did not require waivers were Marek Alscher, Cooper Black, Jack Devine, Kirill Gerasimyuk, Mikuláš Hovorka, Ludvig Jansson, Tyler Muszelik, Emil Pieniniemi, Samu Salminen, Matvei Shuravin, and Hunter St. Martin.
Finally, the Panthers released several players on PTO: William Bitten, Karsen Dorwart, Riese Gaber, Robert Mastrosimone, Liam McLinskey, and Nathan Smith.
As a result, the Panthers enter the season with 21 players on their roster: 12 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goalies. Brad Marchand starts the season on injured reserve, while Jonah Gadjovich is placed on the injured/non-roster list.
The Charlotte Checkers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season after losing to the Springfield Thunderbirds, the St. Louis Blues' AHL affiliate. This followed the Checkers' loss in the Calder Cup Final during the 2024-25 season to the Abbotsford Canucks, the Vancouver Canucks' AHL affiliate.
With a mix of youngsters and veterans, the Checkers should once again be a playoff team capable of a long run. Last year, the Checkers' lineup was depleted due to the injuries the NHL club faced. The hope is that the Panthers' NHL lineup remains intact and they aren't as desperate to recall so many key figures from the Checkers.
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