Another One: Florida Panthers May Have 7th Rookie Make NHL Debut Tonight

Jim Rassol-Imagn Images The Florida Panthers are expected to have yet another new face in the lineup on Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs two days after they had two rookies make their NHL debuts. Forward Wilmer Skoog was called up from the AHL Charlotte Checkers on Saturday and should be in against the Leafs in a game both teams really need to lose . Florida is already down 12 players counting Matthew Tkachuk , who left the team to be with his wife Ellie for the birth of their first child.

Paul Maurice did not say which player would come out of the lineup tonight but said there would be changes. Skoog, 26, was an undrafted signee by the Panthers after scoring 40 goals with 76 points in 103 games over four seasons at Boston University. He has played for both the Checkers and ECH Florida Everblades in his three seasons with the Panthers organization.

Skoog has 18 goals with 37 points in 59 games for the Checkers this season. He is the seventh player to make his NHL debut with the Panthers this season — and third in the past two games. On Thursday in Montreal, defensemen Ludvig Jansson and Marek Alscher played in their first NHL games with Dmitry Kulikov (broken finger) and Seth Jones (broken foot) both out.

ON DECK: GAME No. 80 FLORIDA PANTHERS at TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS When: Saturday, 7 p. m.