The Florida Panthers’ development camp got underway on Monday at the IcePlex, with 39 players vying for a spot on the team’s roster. While not all of them will cut, several prospects are expected to suit up for the Panthers in the future.
The four-day camp is an essential part of the team’s evaluation process, allowing coaches to assess the players’ skills and instill the organization’s playing style. “This is an important part of the process to filter in how we want to play as a group, how the organization likes to play, things that are important to Paul,” said Geordie Kinnear, the Charlotte Checkers coach running the camp.
Several players in attendance were recently drafted by the Panthers and will return to college or junior teams this season. However, for prospects like Marek Alscher, Josh Davies, Sandis Vilmanis, and Mikulas Hovorka, this camp is a crucial step towards making the team’s training camp roster.
Alscher and Vilmanis, both 2022 draft picks, have already signed their entry-level deals with the Panthers and are likely to start the season with the Checkers in the American Hockey League. “The summer is big, and this summer will be the biggest of my career,” said Vilmanis, 20. “I have to get stronger, have to get smarter, and faster on and off the ice. I have to worry about the small details, put the work in. If I put a lot of work in, I think it is going to work out.”
For players like Hunter St. Martin, a sixth-round draft pick last weekend, the camp is an introduction to the Panthers organization. “This has been surreal, watching this team win the Stanley Cup and then you’re picked by them. That’s incredible,” said St. Martin, who will return to the Medicine Hat Tigers of the OHL this season.
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The development camp provides a valuable opportunity for players to receive feedback from coaches and trainers, which they can use to improve their game over the summer. As the Panthers look to build on their Stanley Cup-winning season, this camp is an essential step in shaping the team’s future.