There will be quite a bit to keep track of in the world of the Florida Panthers on Monday.
Florida will set its Opening Night roster, and several questions will be answered in the process.
We’re still waiting to hear the status of Aaron Ekbald and Carter Verhaeghe, both of whom were on the receiving ends of illegal hits that garnered disciplinary action from the NHL Department of Player Safety.
It’s all stemming from Florida’s preseason finale against Tampa Bay on Saturday in which the intra-state rivals called for a combined 322 penalty minutes in a game Florida won 7-0.
The aftermath, which has yet to be completely determined, has seen four Lightning players either fined or facing hearing with the league.
Roman Schmidt and Gage Goncalves were each fined the maxim allowable under the CBA for cross-checking Carter Verhaeghe and Evan Rodrigues, respectively.
The NHL is calling both Scott Sabourin and J.J. Moser in for hearings on Monday as both could face fines or suspensions.
Sabourin went after Ekblad and was tossed from the game, as was Moser after a boarding incident that Jesper Boqvist was on the receiving end of.
So yeah, lots to keep track of.
But wait, there’s more!
Getting back to Florida’s Opening Night roster, the final spots are still in limbo.
Florida has yet to announce whether they are offering a contract to either or both of the men who came to camp on PTOs (professional tryouts), Noah Gregor and Tyler Motte.
The Panthers can carry as many as 23 players on their active roster, which does not include players on IR.
It’s going to be a busy day for the Panthers, who will begin their second straight title defense the following afternoon.
Stay tuned.
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Photo caption: Dec 2, 2021; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) celebrates his goal against the Buffalo Sabres with defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) and left wing Carter Verhaeghe (23) during the third period at FLA Live Arena. (Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images)