Yesterday, the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders announced a trade, acquiring import defenseman Vojtech Vochvest from the Prince George Cougars for a pick.
This was a surprising move as the Raiders already had two imports.
It turns out, that is no longer the case as the team has released defenseman Norwin Panocha from his WHL contract.
The Sabres 2023 7th round pick had 0 points over just 3 games this season, and was the Raiders first round pick in the 2024 CHL Import Draft.
Before joining the Raiders, he was with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens for the 2023-24 season.
The 6-foot-2 blueliner joined the team after being taken as the Sags first round pick in the 2023 draft and tallied 15 points over 52 regular games and 1 point over 8 playoff games, albeit he was unable to score a single goal.
Now a free agent, he'll have the opportunity to join any team with an import slot available across the Canadian Hockey League.
The QMJHL has two teams that fit that criteria, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and the Gatineau Olympiques.
Of course, he could also return to his native Germany, or perhaps explore alternative routes such as the USHL or the BCHL.