FORT LAUDERDALE - The Florida Panthers placed forward Cole Reinhardt on waivers Sunday, with veteran Bokondji Imama claiming the fourth-line spot Reinhardt had appeared to be the frontrunner for, as the defending Eastern Conference finalists finalized their Opening Night roster ahead of Tuesday’s 5 p.m. season opener in Raleigh, N.C.
Imama is projected to start on the fourth line alongside Lars Eller and Garnet Hathaway when Florida faces the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center, a matchup that carries postseason weight: the Panthers have eliminated Carolina in both of their recent playoff meetings, winning the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals in four games and the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals in five. Carolina and Hartford hold a 75-50-11 edge in the all-time regular season series, with 11 additional ties. Florida won the most recent regular-season meeting 2-1.
Reinhardt was joined on the waiver wire by forwards Cole Schwindt, Kai Schwindt, John Beecher, Sam Rafferty and Nathan Bastian, along with defensemen Alexander Petrovic and Donovan Sebrango, Florida Hockey Now reported. All are expected to be assigned to the Charlotte Checkers if they clear waivers by Monday afternoon at 2 p.m.
Bastian’s placement on waivers is notable: he arrived at training camp on a professional tryout, and players on PTOs must clear waivers before signing with a team. By waiving him, the Panthers appear set to offer Bastian a contract, though whether he opens the season in Florida or Charlotte will depend on roster decisions after the waiver deadline.
Angus Crookshank, Toby Bjornfot and Casey Fitzgerald all cleared waivers Sunday and will report to Charlotte. The Panthers’ projected 21-man roster includes forwards Sasha Barkov, Brady Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, Sandis Vilmanis, Eller, Hathaway and Imama; defensemen Aaron Ekblad, Gus Forsling, Seth Jones, Niko Mikkola, Dmitry Kulikov, Radko Gudas and Uvis Balinskis; and goalies Jacob Markstrom and Akira Schmid. Forwards Brad Marchand and Jonah Gadjovich begin the season on injured reserve.
The Panthers hold their first regular-season practice Monday morning in Fort Lauderdale before traveling to Raleigh. Florida’s next home game after the Carolina opener comes Thursday at San Jose, with a 10 p.m. puck drop. The game Tuesday will air nationally on ESPN and stream on Disney+ and Hulu, with radio coverage on WQAM and WBZT 1230-AM in Palm Beach.