With the season approaching, development camp, prospect tournaments, and training camp will soon be underway. The Florida Panthers have announced that their development camp will be held from September 10th to September 14th. Soon after, those who attended development camp will take part in the Prospect Showcase in Tampa Bay. Every year, the prospects of the organization come together to boost their chances of cracking the NHL roster. This year, Florida will have three goalies, eight defensemen, and thirteen forwards attending development camp. These are three prospects to keep an eye out for:
Max Gildon
There are many defensemen to look out for at development camp. Matt Kiersted and Evan Nause are interesting players, but Max Gildon stands out. Born in Plano, Texas, Gildon worked his way up through the USNTDP before joining the University of New Hampshire. Prior to playing at UNH, Gildon was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft to the Florida Panthers. The 2017 draft pick played 101 games for UNH and recorded 73 points. Last season, however, was Gildon’s first professional season. On loan with the Bakersfield Condors, the Texas native recorded 19 points in 32 games. This season, Gildon will return to the Florida organization.
The 22-year-old is described as an offensive defenseman with NHL upside. It will be a tough ask for Gildon to make the NHL roster out of camp, but he can solidify himself as a top-two defenseman in the minors. Depending on injuries and how he improves, Gildon could possibly see NHL time down the line this season.
Anton Lundell
Behind Spencer Knight, Anton Lundell is the biggest name in development camp this year. The 2020 12th overall pick spent last year in Finland as the alternate captain of HIFK. In 26 games, Lundell nearly put up a point per game with 25 points. On June 7th, the Finland native signed his entry-level contract to join the Panthers organization.
It will be essential for Lundell to perform well in both development and training camp. The 19-year-old will have a good shot at making the NHL. However, Lundell will need to prove to Bill Zito and Coach Q he deserves to be with the best. It is almost certain that Lundell makes his NHL debut this season, it is just a matter of when.
Spencer Knight
While Spencer Knight is no longer called a prospect, he is considered a rookie for next season. The Boston College product played four regular season games and two playoff games last season. In those six total games, Knight held a .924 save percentage. Development camp is important for the 2019 first-round pick for a couple of reasons. First, with a good performance, Knight can solidify himself as the starter. Although the starting role is a possibility, he can still fall back on being the backup or 1b option. Also, Knight will get the opportunity to sharpen his skills for a potential Calder Trophy run. Notable rookies in his way are his United States teammates, Trevor Zegras and Cole Caufield.