Evening notes: Boqvist, Katchouk, Megna

The Florida Panthers have announced this defender Adam Boqvist will not return to today’s game due to an injury sustained when he was hit in the face during a clearance attempt in the first period. The 24-year-old signed a two-way, one-year deal with the Panthers on July 9 after being bought out of his contract by the Columbus Blue Jackets in late June.

Boqvist was hoping to rebuild his value with the Panthers after struggling with health and consistency in his first five NHL seasons. The eighth overall victory in 2018 was a central part of the Seth Jones is moving to Chicago in 2021, but was never able to play more than 52 games in an NHL season. Boqvist’s illness will likely remind people of his long injury history, but there is no news yet about his future status.

In other evening notes:

• The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed a forward Boris Katchouk to sign a contract in the American Hockey League for the coming season. The former second-round pick spent most of last season in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks, recording seven goals and six assists in 59 NHL games. The 26-year-old has played 176 NHL games over the last three seasons, but will have to fight his way back into the NHL after failing to get an NHL contract this summer.
• The American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles have announced that their captain for the upcoming season will be an experienced forward Jayson Megna. The 34-year-old has spent parts of 10 seasons in the NHL, but played in just one NHL game for the Boston Bruins last year. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida native is very familiar with the Eagles, having spent four seasons with the organization, bouncing back and forth between the Eagles and the Colorado Avalanche.