Florida Panthers release 9 players from training camp roster

The Florida Panthers are entering their final week of training camp.

Florida is in the midst of an intense preseason stretch in which they’re playing five games in eight days, one that wraps up following the home and home with Tampa Bay that starts Monday night in Sunrise.

All those games in such a short amount of time combined with Florida not wanting to expose its NHL regulars to too much meaningless hockey led to the Cats keeping a large training camp roster for the first couple weeks of camp.

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That is, until now.

On Monday morning, the Panthers trimmed their training camp roster by nine.

Seven of those nine players were assigned to the Charlotte Checkers, Florida’s AHL affiliate that will have its training camp begin later this week.

Those seven are forwards John Leonard, Aidan McDonough and Ben Steeves and defensemen Marek Alscher, Michael Benning, Evan Nause and Zachary Uens .

Additionally, Florida’s two recent draft picks who have looked quite good during camp and the preseason are heading back to their junior teams.

Last year’s second round pick Gracyn Sawchyn and this year’s sixth round selection Hunter St. Martin each showed that they could not only handle the heavy and demanding NHL training camp under Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice, but they could also play, and play well, in a couple of preseason games.

Sawchyn will report to the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, where he scored 43 points in 37 games last season, while St. Martin heads back to the Medicine Hat Tigers, with whom he recorded 24 goals and 52 points in 68 outings last year.

Florida’s training camp roster now sits at 42 players to include 25 forwards, 12 defensemen and five goaltenders.

You can check out the full, up to date roster below:

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