#4: Owen Tippett (RW)
2017’s first-overall draft pick didn’t make his mark in his first South Florida stint, but who’s to say that isn’t set to change.
Owen Tippett has been back home for the Mississauga Steelheads in perfect form, shattering his record points with 75 across 51 games last season.
He’s continued to grow in this young season; 16 points across his first 10 games, finding the back of the net ten times, leading the team in goals and points.
Tippett’s biggest issue right now has to be the inability to play with the big boys. The winger struggled in his five games with Springfield last season (1 goal, 1 assist), and really struggled to impress at the NHL level.
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His situation, however, limits him on making a reappearance until later on in the season. The Cats didn’t place Tippett in the AHL and allowed him to return to the Steelheads, who are a junior team.
Due to NHL rule, Tippett has to complete a full season of juniors before being eligible to return to the Panthers’ roster. The regular season for Mississauga ends on March 17th, 2019, not counting any possible playoff games.
At that point, the Panthers would’ve finished their California road trip and headed towards Dallas, their 72nd game of the season. Whether Tippett would be considered with only ten regular season games left depends on where the Cats stand in the playoff race, but keeping up his personal pace would only help his odds.
Despite only being in the OHL, it’s hard to deny his developing shot and effort on the offensive end to create chances. The Panthers’ bottom-six have combined for just five goals this season, so the addition of Tippett in place of a Maxim Mamin may help more than hurt.
Your Panthers are back in action on Thursday, Nov. 8 @ 7 P.M. against the Edmonton Oilers. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our daily newsletter.