The Florida Panthers completely overhauled their roster this offseason as they signed over a dozen new players. Tuesday, the Washington Capitals will get their first opportunity to see the new-look Panthers this season, but there will be plenty of familiar faces on both sides when the two teams take the ice at Verizon Center.
Former Caps Matt Bradley and Tomas Fleischmann figure to be in the lineup for the Panthers Tuesday, while Jose Theodore will likely sit after playing Monday. Regardless, all three of the aforementioned players have been on the Caps within the last two years. Bradley will be the focus after he admitted Monday that he plans to apologize for his comments regarding Alexander Semin during an August interview.
Meanwhile, Tomas Vokoun will likely start against his former team of four years. Vokoun left the Panthers this summer to sign a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Caps. Dennis Wideman, also a former Panther, will be in the lineup as well.
One player, however, that won't be playing is Michal Neuvirth, who admitted Monday that his "lower-body injury" is a bruised right foot that he suffered last week during a morning skate. Neuvirth practiced Monday for about 20 minutes before being too sore to continue. Head coach Bruce Boudreau said that Neuvirth would need to practice fully before considering a return.