FORT LAUDERADLE – Tomas Nosek is expected to miss some time after suffering an upper-body injury during Sunday’s doubleheader against the Nashville Predators.
The unfortunate injury occurred early in the first period of Game 2 when Predators defenseman Jeremy Lauzon tripped Nosek and sent him flying into the end boards.
Nosek is preparing for his first season with the Florida Panthers.
“It’s going to take a few days for us to know the extent of this injury and how fast he heals,” head coach Paul Maurice said after Tuesday’s practice at Baptist Health IcePlex. “This is not going to be short term. We’re [looking at] weeks, not days with where we are right now.”
Maurice also noted that the injury is not a concussion.
Joining the Panthers on a one-year deal in the offseason, Nosek recorded six points (two goals, four assists) in 36 games with the New Jersey Devils last season. In the six seasons prior, the 31-year-old had recorded at least 15 points and scored eight goals three times.
Expected to slot in as Florida’s fourth-line center, he won 51.9% of his faceoffs in 2023-24.
With Nosek’s availability for Opening Night now up in the air, others will have to step up.
As of right now, the competition for that spot seems wide open among the team’s centers.
“For all of those guys, there’s now an opportunity,” Maurice said. “Tomas might heal faster than that. He may be right for Opening Night. I don’t know. I’m just kind of hedging a little bit on that one. I don’t know the answer to yet. But, yes, all of the players that have center ice experience are going to get a real good look here in the next three games.”
Stay tuned for more updates on Nosek’s status in the coming days.
SAMOSKEVICH NOT READY YET
Mackie Samoskevich’s return will have to wait just a bit.
Yet to join the main group during training camp, the dynamic 21-year-old forward will be given a few more days to heal after aggravating the upper-body injury that’s kept him out.
Samoskevich was initially expected to be ready on Tuesday.
“He had kind of like a flare up when he went back on the ice,” Maurice said. “It didn’t get worse. We want to get him cleaned up. I don’t have him certainly in the game tomorrow.”
While Samoskevich won’t take the ice against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Orlando on Wednesday, Maurice said that he expects him to make his camp debut later this week.
A first-round pick in 2021, Samoskevich led Florida’s AHL affiliate with 54 points in 2023-24.
Preparing for his second pro season, he now hopes to become an NHL regular.
Like Nosek, stay tuned for more updates on his status in the coming days.
