Panthers Training Camp: Sawchyn and St. Martin impress, Nosek and Samoskevich injury updates

FORT LAUDERDALE — After sweeping the split-squad doublehaeder against the Nashville Predators on Sunday, the Florida Panthers were back at the Baptist Health IcePlex for the week  2 of training camp.

Paul Maurice didn’t ease up on the high-intensity, fast paced preseason skates that he’s known for as the camp progressed into the next stage. 

Roster cuts have yet to happen, but will be coming soon as the team will head to Orlando on Wednesday for a preseason matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Here’s some updates going into the second week of the preseason. 

Injury updates

Forwards Mackie Samoskevich and Tomas Nosek did not take part in either of the two main group sessions on Tuesday.

Nosek left Sunday’s preseason game against Nashville in the first period after being tripped into the boards by Predators defenseman Jeremy Lauzon.  

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said that Nosek is dealing with an upper-body injury and that his timetable to return would be “weeks not days”. 

Samoskevich (upper-body), who did not play in the preseason doubleheader on Sunday had a “flare up” and will not play in Wednesday’s preseason game in Orlando against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

“It didn’t get worse, we just want to get him cleaned up,” Maurice said. “I don’t have him in the game tomorrow. My expectation is that he won’t practice with us until we get toward the weekend. Friday or Saturday possibly.”

Another player who picked up a stinger was forward Justin Sourdif, who left Tuesday’s skate earlier with an injury. 

“Sourdif went down in the practice, he’s getting looked at right now,” Maurice said. “It may look like he went in head first, but there isn’t a sign now that he’s got a concussion. Looks like he just cut his face up a little bit. And then he’s got some upper-body stiffness. That’ll be [Wednesday] we’ll figure out how he is.”

Who plays in Orlando?

On Tuesday, the Panthers had most of their players with guaranteed roster spots skate in the first group – like the top-nine forwards and blueline of Ekblad, Forsling, Kulikov, and Mikkola.

As for those in a tight competition for roster spots, they skated with the second group.   

“Prior to the injury to Sourdif, nobody in the first group is playing,” Maurice said. “The entire team for [Wednesday] will come out of the second group.”

Maurice also said he “may pull a guy from the first group” to play in the preseason game against Tampa.

The second group included many of those fighting for a spot on the fourth line, like Jesper Boqvist, AJ Greer, Will Lockwood and Jonah Gadjovich. Defensemen Uvis Balinskis, Nate Schmidt, Tobias Bjornfot and Adam Boqvist — all of whom are in competition to fill out the blue line — were also with the second group.

Goalies Sergei Bobrovksy and Spencer Knight skated with the NHL heavy first group, while Chris Driedger headlined the group that will be going to Orlando. 

Sawchyn, St. Martin stick around for a few more days

Perennial playoff contenders in the NHL — especially those who win championships — usually give up alot of assets to bolster their ‘win now’ roster.

The Panthers, like many Cup champions before them, gambled the future for the present and it paid off in their favor. 

While Florida won’t be near the top of any prospect pipeline lists, they have some youngsters who opened a few eyes this past weekend in Sunrise. 

Gracyn Sawchyn and Hunter St. Martin, both 19 years old and funny enough both Edmonton boys, played their way into staying a few extra days at a Cup champions’ training camp. 

In years past, junior eligible players had the opportunity to play in a preseason game with the Panthers before quickly being sent back to their respective junior clubs.

This year, after an impressive start to camp and a good preseason showing, Florida decided to keep their two youngest players at camp in South Florida for a few more days.

“I’m going day by day, trying to enjoy all the days I’m here,” Sawchyn said. 

Competing alongside the defending Stanley Cup champions is a great experience for the teenagers and a well deserved one at that. It’s also understandable to take a moment and appreciate that they are playing alongside the best payers in the world. 

“I catch myself being a fan sometimes on the ice,” Sawchyn added. “Just watching and seeing how good and cool they are.”

Sawchyn and St.Martin will return to their WHL clubs at some point — most likely soon as the Panthers will have to make  their first cuts of camp — but they’ve made quite an impact on the bosses.

Paul Maurice said that he took notice of St. Martin at the rookie practice right before the annual prospect showcase. A good showing at that tournament in Nashville was enough to give the 2024 sixth-round pick an invite to camp and he didn’t waste his chance, scoring a goal in his NHL preseason debut — with the assist coming from his buddy, Sawchyn. 

“What I like about he and Sawchyn — both very young guys both junior eligible — the cost physically would be greatest on those two,” Maurice said. “I thought those guys were able to get through those three days of camp and then come out and play with some energy. That’s a good sign. They did tons of good work at a young age to be able to survive our camp.”

Referring back to the impression Sawchyn made at last year’s camp as an 18-year-old, Maurice called him “a gamer”.

“He’s not out on the drills not to make a mistake, he’s running the drills trying to score,” Maurice said. “In one year, such an incredible difference in a young man at that age. He’s done really good work this summer.”