NOTEBOOK: Forsling's Long Drive; Lomberg Pushing the Pace
Training Camp 1/10/21
SUNRISE, Fla. - As a player, Gustav Forsling doesn't have a lot of miles on him.
His car, however, is a whole different story.
After being claimed off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon, the 24-year-old defenseman hit the road right away and drove south in order to make it in time to hit the ice for his first day of training camp with the Florida Panthers on Monday morning at BB&T Center.
"I just found out and just headed straight away down here," said Forsling, who would have likely had to go through additional safety protocols had he flown. "It's been a little stressful, but it's all good… I'm really excited. It feels good. A new team and new opportunity here. I'm ready to go."
Arriving to his destination around 1:30 a.m. ET, Forsling said he'd never driven so far in his life.
"It wasn't too bad, actually," the Linkoping, Sweden native said. "It's pretty tough because I've never driven that far before. This would be like driving through all of Sweden. It's a bit different."
Despite his legs likely being a little bit sore after keeping his foot on the pedal during an 11-hour drive from Raleigh to Sunrise, Forsling looked no worse for wear during his first practice with the Panthers, skating with team's first group on a pairing with former AHL teammate Chase Priskie.
Manning the blue line for 57 games with the Charlotte Checkers last season, he finished second behind Priskie among the team's defensemen in scoring with 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists).
"I played D partner with Priskie last year," Forsling said. "I know him a little bit."
Originally selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the fifth round (126th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Forsling also has a decent amount of NHL experience. From 2016-2019, he racked up 27 points (eight goals, 19 assists) over 122 regular-season games with the Chicago Blackhawks.
With the Blackhawks, Forsling played under current Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville.
"I look back at when we had him in Chicago, he had outstanding training camps, outstanding starts to the season," said Quenneville, who coached the Blackhawks from 2008-2018. "He looks a lot fitter than we've seen him. When I say fitter, I mean it looks like he's put on some good weight and it looks like he has some strength. He's got ability on both sides of the puck."
In order for Forsling to reclaim a spot in the NHL, Quenneville believes consistency will be key. "I look forward to seeing what he can do," Quenneville said. "There's some upside in his game. As a youngster, he had high hopes of being one of those defensemen that you talk about. Hopefully, he can recapture some of that promise and be a big part of the team."
LOMBERG PUSHING THE PACE
It's been hard to not notice Ryan Lomberg early on in training camp.
And, no, not just because of the wave of hair flowing out of his helmet.
A physical and energetic presence on the ice, the 26-year-old appears to only have one speed - maximum. That was especially evident during Thursday's instrasquad scrimmage as he always seemed to stand out in the defensive zone for chasing down loose pucks and throwing big hits.
"I like him," Quenneville said. "He brings some energy. He's got some good pace to his game. You notice him on the ice. He can kill penalties and gives us some versatility in that area." Taking the long road to the NHL after going undrafted, Lomberg has spent the past several seasons climbing every rung of hockey's ladder in order to get this opportunity with Panthers, who he joined on a motivating two-year, one-way contact during free agency back in October.
In 2019-20, Lomberg was almost a point-per-game player in the AHL, posting 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 20 games with the Stockton Heat before an injury ended his season.
"It's a very exciting time for me to get this opportunity," said Lomberg, who appeared in 11 NHL games with the Calgary Flames over the past two seasons. "I'm not going to take it for granted. I'm here to work as hard as I can every day, push the pace and make sure we're competitive. I know what I have to do. I had the best summer of training of my life and I'm ready to prove to everybody that they signed me for a reason."
Looking like a potential good bottom-six forward and penalty killer for the Panthers, Lomberg has spent much of the first week of camp on a line with an expert in that area -- Noel Acciari.
"He's obviously an awesome player and someone that's really easy to play with," Lomberg said of Acciari, who scored a career-high 20 goals while also leading all NHL forwards in blocks last season. "He's always in the right areas, always working hard and always doing the right things."
HORNQVIST SETTLES IN
With a second practice under his belt, Patric Hornqvist is feeling settled in.
"I feel great," said Hornqvist, who made his debut at camp on Saturday after missing the first several practices while on the team's 'unfit to play' list. "It's nice to be out there with the boys and get this start. Like everyone else, we're super excited for the season to start."
Acquired during the offseason in a trade with Pittsburgh, the 34-year-old forward has shown a nose for the net throughout his career. A 20-goal scorer eight times in the NHL, he's coming off a season in which he recorded 32 points (17 goals, 15 assists) in 52 games with the Penguins.
With the Panthers, Hornqvist has been skating on the right side of a line with two of the team's top playmakers in Jonathan Huberdeau and Alex Wennberg. Over the last two seasons, that duo has combined for 157 assists, including a whopping 117 helpers from Huberdeau alone.
"Both of them are really talented with the puck," Hornqvist said of his new linemates. "I just try and create space out there for them, go to the net and try to get open when they get the puck."
As he continues to get more comfortable, Hornqvist also hopes to establish himself as a leader.
"I think that's my type of personality," said Hornqvist, who helped guide Pittsburgh to Stanley Cups in 2016 and 201. "It doesn't matter what room you put me in, I always want to be that kind of guy that talks and makes everyone feel secure and have fun. But at the same time, we're here for one reason -- to win games. We have to compete when it's compete time, and then when practice is over you can have fun and enjoy it."
SUNDAY'S PRACTICE LINES (GROUP 1)
Forwards Carter Verhaeghe - Aleksander Barkov - Anthony Duclair
Jonathan Huberdeau - Alex Wennberg - Patric Hornqvist
Frank Vatrano - Eetu Luostarinen - Owen Tippett
Ryan Lomberg - Noel Acciari - Brett Connolly
Defensemen
MacKenzie Weegar - Aaron Ekblad
Riley Stillman - Anton Stralman
Brady Keeper - Radko Gudas
Gustav Forsling - Chase Priskie
Goaltenders
Chris Driedger
Sam Montembeault
Group 2 Participants: Keith Yandle, Kevin Connauton, Aleksi Heponiemi, Grigori Denisenko, Scott Wilson, Vinnie Hinostroza, Mason Marchment, Cole Schwindt and Philippe Desrosiers.
