SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers close out their preseason Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amerant Bank Arena, carrying a 2-0-1 record into the 6 p.m. ET finale after a 5-3 win over Tampa Bay on Thursday.
Head coach Paul Maurice said the final tuneup serves as a last evaluation of depth before the regular season begins. “You’re just getting to know a player a little bit better,” Maurice said before Saturday’s game at Baptist Health Iceplex. “Not everybody starts the team with us. We’ve got some really interesting depth right now.”
The headlining storyline Saturday is the preseason debut of Gracyn Sawchyn, the Panthers’ 2023 second-round pick (63rd overall), who posted 23 points — 6 goals and 17 assists — in 35 games with the Charlotte Checkers last season. Also returning to the lineup is forward Jack Devine, 22, who logged 11:03 of ice time, recorded an assist and finished with a +1 plus/minus rating in the preseason opener against the Carolina Hurricanes.
In goal, the Panthers will get another look at first-year Panther Akira Schmid, who stopped 12 of 13 shots against Carolina in Tuesday’s shootout loss. The 6-foot-8 Cooper Black, who made 14 saves in Thursday’s win over the Lightning, could also see time.
Defenseman Mikulas Hovorka, a 6-foot-6 Czech blueliner who recorded an assist in his preseason debut Thursday, has drawn attention in camp after posting 18 points — 5 goals and 13 assists — and a +23 plus/minus rating in 57 regular-season games in Charlotte last season. “I think it’s just the whole concept in this organization is to be better every day,” Hovorka said. “You see all the guys, Barkov, Ekblad, all those guys are pushing with whatever they have. So why would you not? I think it’s just what’s built within this organization. Everybody wants to be part of it.”
Cole Reinhardt leads all Panthers skaters with four points — 3 goals and 1 assist — in three preseason games. Kai Schwindt and Sandis Vilmanis each have a goal and an assist this preseason, while Alexander Petrovic and Donovan Sebrango both posted a +3 plus/minus rating in Thursday’s win. Garnet Hathaway recorded three hits in his preseason debut against the Lightning.
Maurice has emphasized the connection between the Panthers and their AHL affiliate in building organizational depth. “We do something for Charlotte, and Charlotte does something for us,” he said. “We try to set them on a framework and a path that when they go down, it’s really clear what we want.”
Tampa Bay will dress a young lineup, though veterans Zemgus Girgensons (844 NHL games), Pontus Holmberg (229 NHL games) and Gage Goncalves (136 NHL games) are expected to play. Conor Geekie has two goals in three preseason games for the Lightning. In net, Tampa Bay will go with either Mads Sogaard or Dennis Hildeby, who stopped 23 of 26 shots in an overtime preseason loss to the Nashville Predators on Sept. 22.
Defenseman Matvei Shuravin said Saturday represents a final chance to make an impression. “I just want to show a good game for our offense,” Shuravin said. “It’s a good opportunity.”
Saturday’s game at Amerant Bank Arena can be streamed free at PanthersPlus.tv for fans within the Panthers’ broadcast territory. A combined 50/50 raffle covering both Florida home preseason games will be drawn Saturday night.