Panthers lineup gets a boost with Tomas Nosek's return, injecting crucial depth as Florida pushes for a playoff spot against the Devils.
The health bar hovering over the Florida Panthers continues to grow stronger by the day.
On Tuesday, when the Panthers continue their four-game road trip in Newark against the New Jersey Devils, Florida will welcome center Tomas Nosek back into the lineup.
Nosek will be making his season debut after suffering a knee injury during the offseason that required surgery and a lengthy recovery.
He skated on a line with rookie Sandis Vilmanis and veteran A.J. Geer during Florida’s morning skate, and afterwards, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice confirmed that Nosek would be playing against the Devils.
Nosek joins Dmitry Kulikov, who hurt his shoulder while playing in the second game of the season and didn’t get back into the lineup until Sunday on Long Island, as players who have returned this week after missing significant time.
Florida’s injured list currently features Seth Jones and Jonah Gadjovich, both of whom on the road trip and could crack the lineup at any time, as well as captain Sasha Barkov as he works his way back from September knee surgery, and Cole Schwindt, who suffered a lower-body injury during last week’s win over Toronto that is expected to keep him out long-term.
There are 22 games remaining on the Panthers schedule as they attempt to overcome an eight-point deficit in the Wild Card race and make the improbable climb over the six teams that stand between Florida and a seventh consecutive postseason appearance.
Here are how the Panthers lines and pairings should shake out Tuesday in Jersey, based off Florida’s morning skate:
Carter Verhaeghe – Evan Rodrigues – Brad Marchand
Mackie Samoskevich – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart
Sandis Vilmanis – Tomas Nosek – A.J. Greer
Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Uvis Balinskis
Tobias Bjornfot – Dmitry Kulikov
Extras: Jesper Boqvist, Donovan Sebrango, Jeff Petry
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Photo caption: Jan 25, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Tomas Nosek (92) skates before the start of the second period against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. (Robert Edwards-Imagn Images)