Florida Panthers News
Bennett was acquired from Calgary on Monday and will make his Panthers debut tonight in Tampa. Bennett will centre the second line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Anthony Duclair on his wings. Bennett has 12 points (4G / 8A) in 38 games this season.
Boqvist was knocked out of Monday's game after one shift and was not on the ice for Wednesday's practice. With Boqvist in concussion protocol, look for Nikita Zadorov to replace him in the lineup on Thursday.
Kulikov provides almost nothing offensively but is a solid shutdown defenseman who can slot onto the Oilers' second pairing. The 6-foot-1, 204 lbs. Russian will likely replace Kris Russell in the top-4 and skate with Adam Larsson.
Kiersted just signed with the Panthers after finishing his senior year at the University of North Dakota. The Panthers will waste no time getting him into the lineup, as he'll skate with veteran Anton Stralman on Saturday. The 22-year-old blueliner had three goals and 19 assists (22 points) in 29 games at UND.
Barkov has missed the last six games with a lower-body injury but will play Saturday vs. the Blue Jackets. In addition to Barkov, the Panthers will also get Patric Hornqvist back, providing a huge boost to their top-6 and power-play. Barkov has had an outstanding season so far, scoring 13 goals with 24 assists (37 points) in 31 games.