Panthers’ ‘Swiss Army Knife’ playing key role. And Barkov’s search for celebration teammate
Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice has a good problem on his hands when it comes to forward Eetu Luostarinen.
“He’s the easiest guy to move around to a positive benefit,” Maurice said, “if that makes any sense at all.”
In essence, Luostarinen’s role for the team is defined by being undefined. He keeps the rest of the team stable by himself holding down an unstable role.
If the Panthers need a hole filled on their forward lines, Maurice can slide Luostarinen into that spot and feel confident there won’t be a dropoff in results.
“He just excels where he goes to the point that you want to leave him there,” Maurice said, “and then injuries dictate he has to go somewhere else.”
That has been the case once again to start this season. After primarily playing on the wing last season and slotted to do so again this year, Luostarinen finds himself centering the Panthers’ second forward line with Sam Bennett sidelined with a lower-body injury he sustained during training camp. Luostarinen will remain in that role on Thursday when the Panthers play their home opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Amerant Bank Arena.
Maurice is fine with that. So are his linemates, left wing Carter Verhaeghe and right wing Matthew Tkachuk, both of whom share the same sentiment about 25-year-old Luostarinen.
“He’s one of our best players night in and night out,” said Tkachuk, high praise considering Tkachuk was a finalist for the NHL’s Hart Memorial Trophy, the league’s MVP award. “He’s a Swiss Army Knife for us. He does everything. He bounces around, plays every position and every situation and is just a perfect team player. He puts everybody else first out there. For me, I love play with him because he covers up for my mistakes and allows me to play a little bit more on the offensive side.”
Added Verhaeghe: “He doesn’t get that much credit for what he does for our team. He makes a huge impact. ... He has really good offensive instincts and is a really good two-way player. He makes the right play at any given moment.”
Luostarinen, who signed a three-year contract extension during the offseason, had a career season in 2022-23, setting career-highs with 17 goals, 26 assists and 43 assists while being a fixture on Florida’s penalty kill. He is getting time on the power play this year as well. He’s a natural centerman but also excels on the wing, giving Maurice that needed versatility to move him around wherever the team needs him.
“I really didn’t know a lot about him to be honest before I came here last year,” Tkachuk said. “Since the first game last year, he was one of our best players and I think he just keeps evolving. I think that if he’s not one of the better players in the NHL, he’s gonna be known for that really soon.”
Wanted: High-fives for Aleksander Barkov
After the Panthers won their first game of the season Monday, beating the New Jersey Devils 4-3, Florida captain Aleksander Barkov found himself alone on the ice, giving a high-five to the air.
He tried to keep a ritual alive even though his partner in the celebration is no longer with the team.
When the Panthers won games last season, Barkov and defenseman Radko Gudas would give each other an emphatic high-five on the ice just beyond their bench before they retreated to the dressing room.
Gudas is gone now, leaving via free agency and signing a deal with the Anaheim Ducks.
So how will Barkov proceed with the postgame celebration?
First off, Barkov said the ghost high-five won’t be a full-season affair.
“I think one game was enough,” Barkov said. “Maybe [I need] to find someone else to do it.”
But who?
Maybe defenseman Dmitry Kulikov? He is wearing No. 7, Gudas’ old number.
“Yeah,” Barkov said, “but he’s the first guy in the locker room. We need a guy who will stay there until the end.”
That said, Gudas saw Barkov attempt the celebration solo.
His message to Barkov?
“He said he loves me,” Barkov said.
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