The Forwards
#4 Jack Devine
23 years old / Signed three-year, entry-level contract with Florida on 4/12/25 / 43 points (18g, 25a) in 63 AHL games for Charlotte, 0 points in six NHL games for Florida last seasonDevine is back for his sophomore campaign after turning in a strong showing as a rookie last season - leading the team in helpers and ranking second in points.
#7 Robert Mastrosimone
25 years old | Signed one-year, one-way AHL contract on 2/2/26 | 32 points (13g, 19a) in 49 AHL games for Charlotte, 15 points (9g, 6a) in 13 ECHL games for Savannah last seasonMastrosimone started last season in the ECHL, lit it up for the Ghost Pirates and quickly earned himself a spot on the Charlotte roster. The 2019 second rounder tied for sixth on the Checkers in scoring despite playing fewer games than all but one of the skaters ahead of him.
#9 Angus Crookshank
26 years old | Acquired from New Jersey via trade on 6/30/26 | 36 points (24g, 12a) in 60 AHL games for Utica, one point (1g, 0a) in eight NHL games for New Jersey last seasonCrookshank came over from the New Jersey organization as part of the deal that landed Florida Jacob Markstrom, and he brings with him a strong scoring touch. The 2018 fifth-round draft pick has scored at least 20 goals in each of the last four AHL campaigns while also making appearances at the NHL level in each of those seasons.
#11 Cole Schwindt
25 years old | Signed two-year, one-way contract with Florida on 7/2/26 | Seven points (5g, 2a) in 29 NHL games for Florida last seasonA familiar face to Checkers fans, Schwindt returns to Charlotte after posting a 40-point rookie campaign in 2021-22. Since then the 6-foot-3 forward played two seasons primarily with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers before spending the last two years entirely at the NHL level with Vegas and Florida.
#13 Kai Schwindt
22 years old | Signed three-year, entry-level contract with Florida on 9/30/22 | Seven points (2g, 5a) in 33 AHL games with Charlotte last seasonThe younger Schwindt returns to the fold after spending the entirety of his second pro season in Charlotte. That jump came after the Ontario-born forward posted 19 points as a rookie for Savannah in 2024-25.
#15 Nate Smith
27 years old | Signed two-year, one-way contract with Charlotte on 12/11/25 | 31 points (12g, 19a) in 47 AHL games for Charlotte last seasonSmith was a late addition to the Charlotte roster last season but he had a sizable impact on the team - including a red-hot run of 19 points in the last 26 games of the regular season.
#16 Johnny Beecher
25 years old | Signed a one-year, two-way contract with Florida on 7/1/26 | Six points (2g, 4a) in 29 NHL games for Calgary last seasonThe 30th overall pick in 2019, Beecher spent the last two seasons fully in the NHL and the season before that mostly in the NHL - totaling 28 points in 165 contests. Prior to that the 6-foot-3 center produced 36 points (16g, 20a) over 87 AHL games with Providence.
#17 Nate Bastian
28 years old | Signed one-year, two-way contract with Florida on 9/27/26 | Seven points (6g, 1a) in 36 NHL games for Dallas and three points (2g, 1a) in four AHL games for Texas last seasonBastian - who has over 300 NHL games under his belt - made enough of an impression at Florida’s training camp to turn his PTO into a full contract. The 2016 second rounder had a brief stint with the Texas Stars last season, but prior to that his most recent time in the AHL was 2019-20, when he ranked third on the Binghamton Devils in scoring.
#18 Sam Lafferty
31 years old | Signed one-year, two-way contract with Florida on 7/1/26 | Two points (1g, 1a) in 29 NHL games with Chicago last seasonLafferty brings nearly 400 games of NHL experience to Charlotte and has posted at least 20 points in two of the last four seasons. The veteran forward’s only full AHL campaign came in 2018-19, when he ranked second on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with 49 points.
#19 Hunter St. Martin
21 years old | Signed three-year, entry-level contract with Florida on 10/25/24 | 13 points (5g, 8a) in 46 AHL games for Charlotte last seasonFollowing a standout junior career with Medicine Hat, St. Martin made the jump to the pro ranks last season and ranked fifth among Charlotte rookies in scoring as a 20-year-old.
#18 Sam Lafferty
31 years old | Signed one-year, two-way contract with Florida on 7/1/26 | Two points (1g, 1a) in 29 NHL games with Chicago last seasonLafferty brings nearly 400 games of NHL experience to Charlotte and has posted at least 20 points in two of the last four seasons. The veteran forward’s only full AHL campaign came in 2018-19, when he ranked second on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with 49 points.
#21 Will Bitten
28 years old | Signed one-year, one-way AHL contract on 6/12/26 | 21 points (10g, 11a) in 59 KHL games for Sochi HC last seasonBitten is back in North America after spending each of the last three seasons in Russia. A third-round pick by Montreal in 2016, Bitten has logged 346 AHL games in his career and his two most prolific campaigns were his two most recents ones - including a 45-point showing for Springfield in 2022-23.
#22 Riese Gaber
26 years old | Signed one-year, one-way AHL contract on 3/23/26 | 21 points (9g, 12a) in 49 AHL games for Charlotte last seasonGaber returns after taking another step in his second pro campaign, where he was one of 14 Charlotte skaters to reach the 20-point mark.
#23 Cole Reinhardt
26 years old | Claimed off waivers from Vegas on 3/6/26 | Seven points (3g, 4a) in 44 NHL games for Vegas and eight points (6g, 2a) in 15 NHL games for Florida last seasonReinhardt - who had spent the majority of his first five pro seasons with the AHL’s Belleville Senators - made quite the impact in Florida last season after the Panthers claimed him off of waivers, lighting the lamp six times in 15 contests. The 2020 sixth rounder has been a solid producer during his time in the AHL, reaching the 30-point mark in three of his five seasons with Belleville.
#24 Gracyn Sawchyn
21 years old | Signed three-year, entry-level contract with Florida on 11/4/24 | 23 points (6g, 17a) in 35 AHL games for Charlotte last seasonFlorida’s second-round selection in 2023, Sawchyn turned in a strong rookie season despite missing three months due to injury. The young forward returned to the ice in April and picked it right back up, recording six points over the last eight contests, including the postseason.
#25 Karsen Dorwart
24 years old | Signed one-year, two-way AHL contract on 9/11/26 | 24 points (10g, 14a) in 70 AHL games for Lehigh Valley last seasonComing off of an impressive three-year career at Michigan State, Dorwart made the jump to the pros and was a key contributor for the Phantoms last season - tying for seventh on the team in goals. He also brings with him some NHL experience, as he logged five games for the Flyers following the conclusion of his college season in 2024-25.
#26 Brian Pinho
31 years old | Signed two-year, one-way AHL contract on 7/2/25 | 34 points (14g, 20a) in 71 AHL games for Charlotte last seasonPinho made an impact in his first season in the Queen City, ranking fifth on the team in scoring and recording his third straight 20-assist campaign. The veteran brings a wealth of experience to a young Checkers squad this season, as Pinho has accumulated 223 points over 433 AHL games thus far.
#28 Brett Chorske
25 years old | Signed two-year, one-way AHL contract on 3/20/25 | 23 points (11g, 12a) in 62 AHL games for Charlotte last seasonAfter jumping straight into a long playoff run in 2024-25, Chorske took another step forward in his first full season as a pro and hit double-digit goals along the way. The towering center will likely start this season on the sidelines, though, as he has been skating in a yellow no-contact jersey during training camp while dealing with an injury.
#34 Kasper Lundell
22 years old | Signed one-year, two-way AHL contract on 7/28/26 | Seven points (3g, 4a) in 38 Liiga games for HIFK Helsinki last seasonAfter gaining some experience in his native Finland’s top league over the last three seasons, Lundell is now making the leap to North America.
The Defensemen
#2 Matvei Shuravin
20 years old | Signed three-year, entry-level contract with Florida on 6/1/26 | One point (0g, 1a) in 21 KHL games for CSKA Moscow last seasonThe Panthers’ third-round pick in 2024, Shuravin is set to join the North American pro ranks this season. The 6-foot-4 blue liner has appeared in 32 KHL games over the last three seasons while spending the majority of his time developing in Russia’s lower leagues.
#3 Ludvig Jansson
22 years old | Signed three-year, entry-level contract with Florida on 5/6/25 | 11 points (3g, 8a) in 31 AHL games for Charlotte and one point (0g, 1a) in four NHL games for Florida last seasonJansson worked his way onto a crowded blue line last season - his first in North America - and tied for sixth among Charlotte defensemen in scoring. He was also one of eight skaters to light the lamp during the Checkers’ opening-round playoff series and picked up a helper in his four-game stint with the Panthers.
#5 Casey Fitzgerald
29 years old | Signed one-year, two-way contract with Florida on 7/2/26 | 23 points (4g, 19a) in 71 AHL games for Hartford last seasonAnother familiar face for Checkers fans returns to the Queen City, as Fitzgerald spent the 2023-24 campaign with Charlotte. The Massachusetts-born blue liner is coming off the best offensive season of his career with the Wolf Pack, and he has continued to ramp up the physical nature of his game - registering a career-high 85 penalty minutes last season.
#6 Donovan Sebrango
24 years old | Signed a one-year, one-way contract with Florida on 7/3/26 | Eight points (0g, 8a) in 40 NHL games for Florida and 0 points in two NHL games for Ottawa last seasonA third-round pick by Detroit in 2020, Sebrango split his first four pro seasons between the AHL and ECHL before breaking out with a 20-point campaign for the Belleville Senators in 2024-25. The blue liner was then claimed off waivers by Florida early last season and spent the entirety of the year in the NHL.
#8 Mitch Vande Sompel
29 years old | Signed one-year, one-way AHL contract on 6/12/26 | 11 points (4g, 7a) in 36 AHL games for Charlotte last seasonAfter injuries derailed his first full season in Charlotte, Vande Sompel contributed to a deep blue line for the Checkers in 2025-26.
#14 Mikulas Hovorka
25 years old | Signed one-year, two-way contract with Florida on 7/21/26 | 18 points (5g, 13a) in 57 AHL games for Charlotte and one points (0g, 1a) in four NHL games for Florida last seasonHovorka stepped up in his second North American season, ranked third among Charlotte blue liners in points and tied for second in goals. That strong play earned the young defenseman a shot at the NHL, where he skated in four games and picked up one helper.
#27 Marek Alscher
22 years old | Signed three-year, entry-level contract with Florida on 3/13/23 | 11 points (3g, 8a) in 52 AHL games for Charlotte and three points (0g, 3a) in four NHL games for FloridaAlscher was another young defenseman who took on an elevated role last season for Charlotte. The Czech blue liner also made a strong impression in Florida, recording three assists in four games during his NHL stint.
#36 Alex Petrovic
34 years old | Signed two-year, one-way contract with Florida on 7/2/26 | 10 points (2g, 8a) in 54 NHL games for Dallas last seasonPetrovic comes to Charlotte with over 800 pro games to his name - 323 in the NHL and 485 in the AHL. Last season was the veteran’s first spent entirely in the NHL since 2018-19 - he ranked fifth among Stars defensemen in scoring - and prior to that he logged three straight 20-point campaigns for the Texas Stars.
#39 Emil Pieniniemi
21 years old | Acquired via trade from Pittsburgh on 6/13/26 | Three points (1g, 2a) in nine AHL games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and 11 points (6g, 5a) in 26 ECHL games for Wheeling last seasonA third-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2023, Pieniniemi has been in North America since putting up 60 points in 60 games for Kingston during the 2024-25 OHL season. He made the jump to the pro ranks last season and was a contributor for both the Penguins and Nailers - including leading all Wheeling defensemen in postseason scoring.
#40 Tobias Bjornfot
25 years old | Signed one-year, two-way contract with Florida on 7/1/26 | Four points (2g, 2a) in 19 NHL games for Florida and 12 points (4g, 8a) in 33 AHL games for Charlotte last seasonBjornfot is back after serving as a crucial piece of Charlotte’s back end in each of the last two seasons. Despite injuries and recalls (19 games with Florida were his most in the NHL since 21-22) limiting him to just 33 games with the Checkers, Bjornfot posted 12 points and played big minutes for Charlotte.
The Goalies
#20 Kirill Gerasimyuk
23 years old | Signed two-year, entry-level contract with Florida on 7/1/25 | 9-6-1, 2.50 GAA, .901 SV% in 19 AHL games with Charlotte and 3-3-1, 2.22 GAA. 9.18 SV% in seven ECHL games with Savannah last seasonGerasimyuk turned in some gems during his first pro season in North America, including making history with four shutouts as a rookie. He heads into year two with a chance to increase his workload as the second most experienced netminder in the current platoon.
#30 Tyler Muszelik
22 years old | Signed two-year, entry-level contract with Florida on 3/30/26 | 19-11-5, 2.21 GAA, .926 SV% in 35 games for the University of Connecticut last seasonAfter joining the group late last season to get a taste of the pro level, Muszelik is set to kick off his proper rookie campaign this year. The New Jersey native is coming off a stellar senior season at UConn in which he ranked fifth in the nation in save percentage and led the Huskies to their second straight NCAA tournament appearance.
#31 Cooper Black
25 years old | Signed two-year, two-way contract with Florida on 6/8/26 | 25-13-4, 2.47 GAA, .903 SV% in 42 AHL games for Charlotte last seasonBlack was Charlotte’s workhorse last season - which was only his second as a pro. He started each of the team’s first eight games and ended up with 42 games across the season, all while helping backstop a Checkers squad that ranked in the top five in terms of goals against per game.
