New York Islanders winger Richard Panik will skate with Mathew Barzal and Zach Parise on the top line in Sunday's matchup against Toronto. The team has suffered a COVID-19 outbreak, so head coach Barry Trotz has been forced to get creative with his lines. Panik made his team debut on Saturday and picked up an assist in a 5-2 loss against Calgary. The Slovak winger has bounced around the league for many years and even spent one season in Toronto back in 2014-15, so we can call it a revenge game for him.
The Detroit Red Wings traded veteran forward Richard Panik to the New York Islanders for a 2021 second-round draft pick and defenseman Nick Leddy. Panik carries a $2.75 million cap hit for the next two seasons for New York. The 30-year-old recorded four goals and 13 assists in 48 games. He will most likely skate on the team's third or fourth line. Panik should not play much of a factor in fantasy for next season as he will be playing more of a defensive type checking role for the Islanders.