SUNRISE - The Florida Panthers open the 2026-27 NHL season Tuesday against the host Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., with coach Paul Maurice pulling his full roster together for the first time after an abbreviated training camp and preseason schedule that kept key pieces separated on the ice.
Maurice closed a split-squad preseason with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, but said the team is ready. “All the coaches are ready,” Maurice said. “We haven’t really had them all on the ice together. All the pieces will come together.”
Brady Tkachuk, who did not play in the third period of a preseason loss at Carolina and has been limited due to what Maurice described as tightness, is expected back on the ice Monday and projected to skate on the top line with Sasha Barkov and Sam Reinhart for Tuesday’s opener, Florida Hockey Now reported.
Forward Garnet Hathaway, acquired in a June trade, spent most of training camp separated from the main group on the ice despite sharing the locker room and gym with his new teammates. “We have had meetings together with the full group and you’ll see someone and it’s like ‘I haven’t seen them in a month,’ when it was only about three days,” Hathaway said. “We are all going to have a lot of time together, so I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”
Bokondji Imama won the roster battle at camp and will join Lars Eller and Hathaway on the fourth line. The Panthers enter the season with 12 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies - the roster minimum at forward - with defenseman Uvis Balinskis serving as the lone spare. Balinskis, who grew up playing forward before moving to the blueline, could be deployed as a 13th forward if needed.
Florida is operating right against the $104 million salary cap once Jonah Gadjovich is placed on long-term injured reserve. Brad Marchand, also on IR, is expected to miss the first month of the season. The Panthers placed seven players on waivers Sunday, including defensemen Alexander Petrovic and Donovan Sebrango and forwards Cole Reinhardt, Cole Schwindt, Kai Schwindt, John Beecher and Sam Lafferty.
Tuesday’s 5 p.m. game at Lenovo Center in Raleigh airs on ESPN and streams on Disney+ and Hulu. The Panthers’ next home games against Carolina are scheduled for Jan. 21 and March 10. Florida’s next road game follows Thursday at the San Jose Sharks at 10 p.m.