FORT LAUDERDALE - All eight Florida Panthers players placed on waivers Sunday cleared Monday’s 2 p.m. deadline unclaimed, giving the team a clean path to finalize its opening-night roster and a depth cushion heading into the 2026-27 season.

The group sent through waivers included forwards Cole Reinhardt, Cole Schwindt, Kai Schwindt, John Beecher, Sam Rafferty and Nathan Bastian, along with defensemen Alexander Petrovic and Donovan Sebrango. Florida Hockey Now first reported the clearances. All eight are expected to be assigned to the Panthers’ AHL affiliate in Charlotte.

The news was particularly notable because Reinhardt, Cole Schwindt and Sebrango were all players Florida had picked up off waivers last season, meaning other teams passed on reclaiming them. Bastian, who came to camp on a professional tryout, signed a two-way contract with the Panthers on Sunday before clearing.

Because none of the eight were claimed, they can be recalled to Florida - or added to the opening-night roster - without going through waivers again, provided they do not play in 10 games or spend 30 days on the NHL roster. That rule gives the Panthers meaningful flexibility if injuries arise during the season.

Head coach Paul Maurice offered a measured assessment of the camp competition Saturday night. “The guys who came in to compete for jobs, even if there weren’t any jobs to start with, made their case,” Maurice said. “Maybe one or two surprises. … Good, positive things in that. They went hard for two weeks. That was a hard camp.”

The Panthers were carrying 21 players on their roster as of Sunday, with the possibility of additional moves before a 5 p.m. deadline depending on salary cap constraints. Forwards Brad Marchand and Jonah Gadjovich remain on injured reserve.

Florida opens the 2026-27 season Tuesday at 5 p.m. against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., broadcast on ESPN and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. The Panthers hold a 2-0 postseason series record against Carolina, having eliminated the Hurricanes in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals in four games and again in the 2025 ECF in five. Carolina leads the all-time regular-season series 75-50-11 with 11 ties; Florida won their most recent regular-season meeting 2-1. The Panthers’ next home game after Tuesday follows Thursday at San Jose at 10 p.m.