2 Florida Panthers Prospects Who Could Get Called Up This Season

As the season gets underway, players will begin to suffer injuries as they sacrifice their bodies for the sake of their team, not to mention the ever-present concern of a positive Covid diagnosis. Eventually, there will be players who will need to miss games, and others will need to be called in to replace them in the lineup. Here are two such prospects who could see some playing time on the Florida Panthers this season.

Logan Hutsko

Although Anton Lundell was the prospect that caught the eye of Panthers' coach Joel Quenneville during the team's pre-season, Logan Hutsko made a pretty solid impression himself. He scored a goal in a game against the Dallas Stars and generally looked to be a solid contributor on the NHL ice. Then there are his stats following his assignment to the AHL. 1 goal, 5 points in 4 games with the Charlotte Checkers, and currently sitting at a +7. 4 games are a small sample size, but producing at a pace like that will send a strong signal that Hutsko is simply too good to stay in the AHL level. A call-up for the former 2018 3rd-round pick seems to be inevitable at some point this season. Considering his point-per-game production has persisted through his transition from NCAA hockey to the pro level, there's little reason to think he won't fit in on an NHL roster.

First of many for Logan Hutsko! pic.twitter.com/gWIB7i8whF

— Charlotte Checkers (@CheckersHockey) October 23, 2021

Aleksi Heponiemi

It was a similar story for Heponiemi in training camp, showing well in the games he played, scoring a goal, and eventually being passed over for Anton Lundell. The difference is, Heopniemi has 9 games of NHL experience and an overtime-winning goal on his stat sheet. Since returning to the AHL, he has 2 goals in 4 games and was named an Alternate Captain of the Charlotte Checkers. They're both signs that it's not really a matter of if he's getting called up, but when. Small, skilled forwards are a big part of the Panthers' lineup, and Heponiemi fits that bill. He looks to have found the scoring touch he showed with the WHL's Swiftcurrent Bronco's and brought it to the pro level, and that should have Panthers' fans very excited about what this kid can bring to their team. 

Which rookies do you think will get called up to the Panthers this season?

Photo credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports