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Quick Bite: Abols Signed, Boughner An Assistant in San Jose

May 29, 2019, 10:27 PM ET [18 Comments]
Matt Ross
Florida Panthers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Couple quick hits here for the evening...

The Panthers continue loading up on European talent, announcing the signing of Latvian forward, Rodrigo Abols to a two-year, entry-level contract.

Elite Prospects has the 23-year old described as:

"A gritty, hard-working forward with a large frame. An agile skater for his size and is starting to work explosiveness into his game. Smart with and without the puck, and exhibits strength at both ends of the ice. Not the most physical player, but that side of his game will come naturally as he develops more bullish instincts. Loves to battle and works hard to win puck possession on open ice, along the boards, and in the corners. All-in-all, a sizable forward who has the raw tools it takes to become an effective producer as he elevates his game."

Sounds like a solid depth signing. At 6'4" and somewhere between 187-203 lbs (depending on which site you look at), he has a good frame with room to continue adding muscle and strength.

Whether he's truly a part of future plans or not (as with all prospects), it's nice to see some size and (apparent) grit in the pipeline. Lots of talent on the roster, gotta inject some size and hopefully sandpaper in there, too.

For a little more into Abols' background, check out the official press release from the Panthers. Some pretty legit numbers, too - especially in the Quebec league:

"Abols, 23, appeared in 45 games with Orebro HK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), recording 26 points (18-8-26) during the 2018-19 season. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound native of Riga, Latvia, has represented Latvia at the IIHF World Championship four times, including the 2019 World Championship.

In his career in North America, Abols played two seasons (2015-16 to 2016-17) with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL), registering 50 points (20-30-50) and appeared in 52 games with Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (2016-17), producing 50 points (18-32-50).

He was originally selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the seventh round (184th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft."


Boughner Signed

Bob Boughner, the guy who drew the ire of many Florida fans, will find himself behind the San Jose bench next season in an assistant coach position.

It makes sense, Boughner came from San Jose in 2017 and apparently still has very good relationships with some of their key players, according to the Sharks GM Doug Wilson. Interestingly enough, one article even credited Boughner as being one of the main catalysts in helping unlock Brent Burns' full potential.

Personally, I never got the head coach vibe from Boughner during his time with the Panthers. I never had anything against him, but I really struggled, especially as time went on, listening to his post-game pressers and chalking games up to "bad puck luck" and not holding players accountable for poor decisions/play. The scheme (or lack thereof) that was instilled

He's always sort of had the assistant coach vibe to me - not the big cheese, but rather, a guy that players can go to after getting chewed out by the head honcho, etc. One of those guys that can be more of a friend than the one cracking the whip.

Best of luck to him and his new teal threads.

Go Panthers!
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