Panthers: Luostarinen out due to BBQ accident, Schwindt injured

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida – The current Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, are facing an increase in their injury list, including an unusual injury. The coach, Paul Maurice, sees this situation as an opportunity for the team to improve. Forward Eetu Luostarinen will be out for several weeks, according to Maurice, due to a “barbecue accident.” There is still no defined timeframe for his return.

We don’t have much experience with this. When he returns and feels comfortable with the equipment, go ahead.

Paul Maurice, coach of the Florida Panthers

Cole Schwindt, who was claimed to help with the team’s injuries, is also on the injured list. Schwindt will need surgery to repair a broken arm and is expected to be out of action for two to three months. Luostarinen and Schwindt join an injured list that already includes Aleksander Barkov (ACL injury), Dmitry Kulikov (upper body), Jonah Gadjovich (upper body), Tomas Nosek (knee), and Matthew Tkachuk (groin). Barkov, Kulikov, Gadjovich, and Nosek still have months of recovery ahead; Tkachuk could start skating at the end of this month and debut in the season in December. Despite this unexpected start to the season, Maurice sees an opportunity for adaptation and growth. The situation has forced the Panthers to modify their style of play, which could result in valuable lessons.

There’s a lot of good if you can grasp, if you can learn new things, things you have to learn to survive. And that’s really, in a way, what we’re doing, is trying to survive. When you have seven players out of your lineup, you have a problem. We can survive that and then learn through adversity.

Paul Maurice, coach of the Florida Panthers

The coach added that, after the transfer deadline, the team will experience the biggest movement in the league, with the return of players. He believes that the team can be better than in last year’s playoffs if they learn to overcome this situation. The Panthers are hoping that rookie forward Jack Devine, who was part of two NCAA championship teams at Denver and was a two-time Hobey Baker Award finalist before turning pro last year, will make his NHL debut on Thursday in a home game against New Jersey.