Q&A: Panthers GM Bill Zito talks tough cuts, final roster and more!

SUNRISE, Fla. – The board is set and the pieces are moving.

What was once a roster of 59 has been whittled down to just 22 as the Florida Panthers prepare to open up their 2023-24 season against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday.

To view the team’s roster for Opening Day, click here.

From superstars shaking off the rust to up-and-comers making their mark, the last few weeks certainly had no shortage of storylines for the defending champions of the Eastern Conference.

With just a few more days until the Panthers hit the ice and the points start to count, I had a chance to catch up with general manager Bill Zito to talk about some surprises from training camp, the tough decisions around the team’s final cuts, the current roster and much more.

OLIVE: After spending the offseason trying to find pieces and put together the perfect puzzle, how does it feel to have the roster set and Opening Night in Minnesota only a few days away?

Zito: It’s exciting. You go through the summer and you have constraints. With cap constraints, you try to get as many pieces as you can that can fit. Not just fit one hole, but can gel together with the collective and advance the team. We think we managed to bring in some high-quality people who also are skilled. We’re going to find in short order how it worked [laughs].

OLIVE: Before we get to some of the players that impressed in camp, how tough was it lose Grigori Denisenko and John Ludvig to waivers after several years with the organization?

ZITO: Those are really hard decisions. You want to see everybody when their play is optimized. Both guys got injured. Given the other long-term injuries that we currently have, particularly on the back end, we have to fill in the void by committee. Sometimes with that you have to make these decisions. Both of them were great Panthers and great for our organization. We didn’t want to lose either one of them, but we have to field a team. Sometimes you get victimized by the waiver wire. These things happen in hockey.

OLIVE: In previous seasons, it was the Panthers turning to the waiver wire and scooping up hidden gems like Gustav Forsling and Josh Mahura. In some ways, is losing players to waivers also a sign of how far the organization has come in terms of depth up and down the lineup?

ZITO: Yeah, sometimes you have good players and can’t use them all. Sometimes you’re able to take advantage of situations where you have openings and you can absorb players. Other times, your victim to it because you have to make hard choices for the short term and players get exposed.

OLIVE: Staying on the topic of prospects, how exciting was it to see two of the organization’s fairly recent draft picks, Jusin Sourdif (third round, 2020) and Mackie Samoskevich (first round, 2021), shine bright during both last month’s Rookie Showcase and the preseason?

ZITO: We’re real happy. Sourds (Sourdif) has come a long way. He did a lot of work with his injury. He impressed everybody in training camp. He was great. We really look forward to seeing him continue to improve. Samo (Samoskevich), this was his first camp. He did a good job. Both of those players earned the right to stay through the whole camp. We submitted our roster, but when (Brandon) Montour and (Aaron) Ekblad go on [IR] we could see some more space.

OLIVE: Speaking of Montour and Ekblad, all eyes were on defense heading into camp to see which of the team’s new players would step up to help fill those vacant spots on the blue line. Now that we know Uvis Balinskis has made the roster, how much did he impress you?

ZITO: He was one of the top players in Europe before he came over. Although he hasn’t played yet in North America, his skillset lends itself to our needs. He’s not huge, but he’s a good-sized guy. He’s very mobile. He’s a good skater. He’s OK with the puck and he plays with a little bit of compete in him. He has all the elements. For me, it’s a testament to him. He came in and paid his own way just to come in early and be as prepared as he could be. He did a real good job. Now we just have to see. When the season starts, that’s the true test. The evaluation continues on everybody.

OLIVE: From a defenseman that’s yet to make his NHL debut to one with over 900 games under his belt, what have been your early impressions of former NHL All-Star Oliver Ekman-Larsson?

ZITO: Yeah, his skillset is pretty well known. He’s been around a long time. The nice thing about Oliver is that the things he does well fit with what our needs are and they gel with other skillsets on our team. I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for him and a good opportunity for us to celebrate his skillset. Hopefully he can help us complete the puzzle.

OLIVE: Another player that won’t be starting in the NHL but had a strong preseason is former first-round pick Spencer Knight. After missing an extended period of time, how important is it for him to spend time in the NHL getting back into his routine and playing in a lot of games?

ZITO: I think for anybody, independent for whatever the reasons for missing so much time, you need to play games, particularly young goalies. For them, it’s probably exponentially more important. This is a great opportunity to Spencer. I think he’s excited about it. It’s part of the plan that we have. We now have the luxury of getting him in net, getting Bob (Sergei Bobrovsky) in net and everybody getting games.

OLIVE: Sticking with goaltending to close things out, it’s been a few seasons since the Panthers launched their Goaltending Excellence Department headed by Roberto Luongo. Whether it’s working with Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight or unearthing talents like Mack Guzda and Ludovic Waeber, what’s it been like to watch the department evolve?

ZITO: It’s exciting. I can tell you that, for me, it’s very calming because I know it’s in good hands [laughs]. All the guys involved, from Leo Luongo to Tally (Robb Tallas) to Lu (Roberto Luongo) to the scouts in Europe, they all weigh in. They compare and contrast goalies. They talk about it all the time. They’re diligent in the way that they oversee the program. I’m thrilled with the results.