Bokondji Imama didn’t arrive in Florida with the kind of buzz that usually follows a major Panthers move. With Brady Tkachuk and Jacob Markstrom drawing the attention, his signing barely registered outside the margins. But the winger has turned that quiet addition into something more meaningful: a spot on the Opening Night roster.
Imama made the Panthers out of training camp despite signing a two-way contract that pointed toward a likely season in the minors. Instead, the 30-year-old opened camp on Florida’s fourth line and kept that job all the way through.
“We know his abilities in his toughness, and we know there is a better player there,’’ coach Paul Maurice said after Imama made the Opening Night roster.
“In the style of hockey we play, we think we can get him to excel.”
That belief is rooted in exactly what Imama brings. He’s a physical presence, one who has averaged almost three hits per game across his NHL career, and Florida sees that as a fit for the bottom six. In Tuesday’s season opener, he wasted no time showing it, finishing with seven penalty minutes, including a five-minute major for fighting Carolina Hurricanes forward Nic Deslauriers.
“I think I fit perfectly into this style,’’ Imama said of joining the Panthers. “They want to play fast and physical, that’s all my game.’’
That part is easy to understand. Imama’s job description is simple: play hard, bring edge, stand up for teammates, and show up with full effort every shift.
“We have seen physicality come back into the game more and more each year,’’ Maurice said, “and he can do that. We noticed playing against him, he’s fast, he hits clean and he’s almost like Jonah [Gadjovich ].”
That comparison matters for Florida. Gadjovich may be out of the lineup longterm after surgery last November, and that helped push the Panthers toward Imama in the first place. Maurice said the two share a lot of traits, too.
Both have piled up about twice as many penalty minutes as games played, embracing the enforcer role while also serving as the kind of “glue guy” every team leans on. They bring energy, toughness, and the kind of selfless edge that helps keep a locker room together.
Still, Imama’s value in Florida can’t stop at the fights and the hits. He knows that, too.
“We know about my hits and fights but it’s also about managing it,’’’ Imama said. “You also want to make sure you put your team in the best position possible and this training camp helped me become a more complete player.”
That balance is the key for him now. The Panthers don’t want a player who just goes looking for trouble; they want someone who can deliver the physical side without putting the team out of position. Imama’s chance in Florida is to show that his impact reaches beyond the penalty box.
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