Former Panthers first-round pick embracing latest call up. And Tkachuk returns to lineup
Grigori Denisenko was running on very little sleep on Tuesday. It’s understandable why. The 22-year-old forward got word that he would be flying from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Sunrise to join the Florida Panthers, the latest reinforcement called up from the team’s minor-league affiliate to join a Panthers team whose forward depth has been tested quite a bit over the past two weeks.
Two of Denisenko’s teammates from the Charlotte Checkers, Florida’s American Hockey League affiliate, were already here in Zac Dalpe and Chris Tierney. A third, Aleksi Heponiemi, had already gone back and forth between Florida and Charlotte a couple times this season (and rejoined the team again on Thursday).
Now, it was Denisenko’s turn.
And the Panthers’ first-round pick from the 2018 NHL Entry Level Draft is trying to make the most of his latest NHL stint — however long it may be.
“I’m happy to be here,” Denisenko said Thursday. “I want to be useful for this team and just want to step up to be a good player in the NHL.”
Denisenko has 10 career NHL games under his belt heading into Saturday’s game against the New Jersey Devils to open Florida’s quick two-game road trip. He played seven games late in the 2020-21 season, logging four assists, and was active for one game last season — the Dec. 16, 2021, game against the Los Angeles Kings when the Panthers had seven players sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols — before being called up on Tuesday.
He has played in both of the Panthers’ games since his recall, logging a combined 23:34 of ice time in a 4-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday and 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. Denisenko has logged three shots on goal and three hits in that span and has seen time on Florida’s second power-play unit.
“I was impressed with how physical he is and [that he’s] not afraid to take a hit to make a play and to grind plays out,” forward Sam Bennett said. “Obviously, he’s got skill, but to come in and play that physical game is impressive. He’s looked good so far.”
But Denisenko knows he has room to improve. He specifically noted that he is working on his play in the defensive zone and on his reaction time following faceoffs to set up plays.
“I need to play with more spark,” Denisenko said, adding that being competitive in the NHL requires “more skill and more speed. It’s the next level. Everything about it.”
How long Denisenko has the chance to prove he can play with that spark depends on the health of the rest of Florida’s forward group.
Veteran winger Patric Hornqvist is on long-term injured reserve due to a concussion and can’t return until Dec. 29 at the earliest. Center Anton Lundell is set to miss his eighth consecutive game. Colin White (upper body) and Tierney (concussion) are going to be out for a second consecutive game after both left Tuesday’s game against Columbus with their respective injuries.
“We will slowly start getting these guys back,” coach Paul Maurice told reporters pregame Saturday in New Jersey.
Tkachuk returns
A positive for Florida’s forward group: Maurice said All-Star winger Matthew Tkachuk will return to the lineup against the Devils on Saturday after missing Thursday’s game with an illness.
Tkachuk entered Saturday leading Florida with 39 points and 25 assists, marks that respectively rank tied for eighth and tied for ninth across the NHL.
