TAMPA - With most of Florida’s veterans having reached the two-game preseason maximum, the Florida Panthers will send a roster of roster hopefuls and newcomers onto the ice Thursday against the cross-state Tampa Bay Lightning at Benchmark International Arena, with multiple lineup spots still undecided heading into the regular season.
Head coach Paul Maurice said the game represents the moment these players have been working toward. “The start would just be the energy level up, a pace of play within a structure. So, you got to be able to get up and down the ice and be effective in that. When you look at, for the most part, the roles that these players are competing for, there’s a heavy emphasis on defense,” Maurice said. Florida enters the game 1-0-1 in the preseason after a home-and-home series with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Among the most closely watched storylines is the fourth-line competition between Cole Reinhardt and Cole Schwindt, both of whom are appearing in their third preseason game Thursday. Reinhardt has scored a pair of goals in the preseason, while Schwindt recorded seven points (5G, 2A) in 29 games with the Panthers last season. Defenseman Sandis Vilmanis, also in his third preseason game, has logged an assist and appears to have the inside track for a spot on the third line.
Thursday also marks the first time brothers Cole and Kai Schwindt will share the ice in a professional game. Kai, three years younger than Cole, posted seven points (2G, 5A) in 33 games last season with Florida’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.
Free-agent additions Lars Eller and Garnet Hathaway will both make their Panthers debuts in Tampa. Eller, who helped the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup in 2018, has recorded 439 points (193G, 246A) in 1,184 career games and has appeared in 49 career regular-season games against the Lightning. Hathaway brings a physical edge: since the start of the 2021-22 season, he leads the NHL with 1,353 hits across 672 career games, in which he has logged 163 points (76G, 87A).
Also suiting up for Florida is defenseman Alexander Petrovic, returning to the Panthers as a free agent for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Defenseman Donovan Sebrango, who re-signed with Florida this summer, said the organization’s culture drove his decision. “I love these guys. Yeah, you know, they were so good to me when I came here, and I just wanted to stick around,” Sebrango said.
Forward Boko Imama, competing for a roster spot, credited personal development for his continued presence in camp. “I think just maturity in my game. We talk about the physical game, the hits, the fights, but it’s all about also managing it. And I think over the years I’ve been doing a better job at it. You also, you know, you want to make sure you put your team in the best position possible. And I’m still learning though. I’m still learning every day,” Imama said.
In net, Cooper Black gets the start for Florida, with Kirill Gerasimyuk expected to see action as well. The two are competing for the third spot on the Panthers’ goaltending depth chart. Black went 25-13-4 with a .903 save percentage last season with the Checkers, while Gerasimyuk posted a 9-6-1 record with a .901 save percentage in Charlotte in 2025-26. The Panthers and Lightning combined for 536 penalty minutes across three preseason games in 2025, and Florida holds a 7-7-1 record against Tampa Bay in the regular season since 2022-23.
The Lightning are expected to dress their full complement of stars Thursday, including Nikita Kucherov, who won his second Hart Trophy last season after recording 130 points (44G, 86A) in 76 games, and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who claimed his second Vezina Trophy with a 39-15-4 record and .911 save percentage in 58 appearances. Thursday’s game at Benchmark International Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and can be streamed free at PanthersPlus.tv for fans within the Panthers’ broadcast territory.