FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida – The current Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, are facing an increase in their injury list, including an unusual injury. Coach Paul Maurice views this situation as an opportunity for the team to improve. Forward Eetu Luostarinen will be out for several weeks, according to Maurice announced on Wednesday, due to what the coach described as a “barbecue accident.” Despite the situation, the Panthers still do not have an estimated return date for Luostarinen.
Cole Schwindt, who was claimed last month to help with the Panthers’ injury problems, 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 the list of injured players, which 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. This situation is not what the Panthers were hoping for to start the season. However, Maurice sees an opportunity in this adversity. The shrinking roster has forced Florida to change its style of play, and he believes this could generate valuable lessons.We don’t have much experience with this. When he returns and feels comfortable with the equipment, go ahead.
Paul Maurice, Panthers coach
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.There’s a lot of good if you can capture, 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 eventually.
Paul Maurice, Panthers coach
