One player who needs to crack the Florida Panthers’ roster out of training camp is forward Owen Tippett.
Drafted 10th overall back in 2017, Owen Tippett has spent the majority of his time playing in juniors since.
The moment he was selected from the Florida Panthers, the team had him start the year with the Mississauga Steelheads over in the OHL.
Then, around the November mark, the Panthers called him up to play a stretch of games. He took part in seven games, recording his first career NHL goal against the Anaheim Ducks.
However, after playing against the Columbus Blue Jackets in his seventh NHL game, the Cats decided to return Tippett back to juniors for good.
That season (2017-18), Tippett put together a remarkable slash line of 36G, 39A, for 75 points in 51 games, matching his exact point production from the year prior.
At the end of the season, Tippett even featured in five games with the Springfield Thunderbirds, tallying a goal and an assist in that short time frame.
The following season, Tippett failed to crack the Panthers’ roster, spending the entirety of the year in the OHL.
He started the first 23 games with the Steelheads, registering 19G, 14A, and 33 points. Around mid-year, Tippett was dealt in a blockbuster deal to the Saginaw Spirit – a team preparing to make a deep playoff push at the time.
With the Spirit in 31 regular-season games, Tippett tallied 14G, 27A, for 41 points during that span. In the postseason, Tippett was red-hot, mustering 22 points (11G & 11A) in 17 playoff matches.
Now, heading into the upcoming season as a 20-year-old, Tippett is no longer eligible to play in the OHL and will either be playing in the farm or in the big leagues.
As a former top 10 pick, the time is running out on Owen Tippett. This summer, he needs to crack the roster out of training camp; no ifs, ands, or buts.
The main concern with Tippett has always been his game away from the puck. No one has ever and will ever question his game when the puck is on his stick around the slot. Many know and understand how lethal he is from the top of the hash marks.
While goalscoring may come as first instincts for Owen Tippett, neutral and defensive zone play is where he struggles the most. In a league like the OHL where goals are occurring left, right and center, that type of play mask his inabilities fairly well.
When he jumped up to the pros to play with the Panthers, Tippett struggled to retain any possession of the puck – something he wasn’t used to dating back in juniors.
More importantly, he struggled immensely in his own zone and looked like a lost puppy positionally.
Keep in mind, the level of competition he was playing against during those seven games wasn’t too high, taking into account the bottom-six role (primarily third line) that Bob Boughner presented him with.
In the AHL, it wasn’t any easier for the youngster as he experienced more of the same problems. The AHL may not be of the same level as the NHL, but by no means is it equivalent to the OHL. You’re still competing against grown men in an environment where every game is a tryout for most of these players.
The AHL, much like any professional league, stresses the importance of responsible play in all three zones, something Tippett doesn’t exactly thrive in. Sure, he recorded two points in fives games, but that isn’t anything to gloat about.
This summer is arguably Tippett’s most important. His future with the Panthers could be decided fairly quickly if he fails to make the roster straight out of training camp or if fails to appear in any NHL action like the season prior.
For a former top 10 selection, the “top prospect” label will only last forever and is starting to wear off as the seasons pass. Tippett can’t be a prospect forever and will have to play in the NHL one day, whether that be with Florida or another club.
That’s why, as he enters his third season (after being drafted), it’s crucial that Tippett leaves a mark at training camp this summer and impresses the eyes of many.
Because if he doesn’t, and if he fails to appear in any NHL games this season, many will start to worry, and only for the better…