With the opening of Florida Panthers training camp, goaltender Jacob Markstrom was expected to transition from prized prospect into a franchise goaltender. Considering he started 15 of the team's last 18 games last season, his place as the team's No. 1 goaltender coming into camp was never in doubt.

But Florida's goaltending picture shifted with the announcement that two-time Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas had accepted a professional tryout (PTO) and would be attending camp. In his first comments regarding Thomas' arrival, Markstrom sounded eager to learn from the decorated goaltender who took a year off from the game to spend more time with his family.

"He's been through a lot. He played in Europe and was successful there and was very successful in Boston and won the Cup there," Markstrom said. "He's got a lot of experience. So hopefully I can learn a lot from him."

The Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday sent five players to their American Hockey League affiliate, the Utica Comets, and invited three other players to Utica's training camp.

Goaltender Mathieu Corbeil, defenseman Sacha Guimond, center Alex Friesen and forwards David Pacan and Ludwig Blomstrand were sent to the Comets. Forwards Mitch Elliot, Jesse Mychan and Wes Myron were invited to the Comets' training camp

The Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday signed 2013 first-round pick Samuel Morin to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The 6-foot-6, 202-pound defenseman, taken with the 11th pick in the draft, could make as much as $1.425 million per season, including bonuses.

"For a guy that size, I think he gets around the ice really good," general manager Paul Holmgren said. "His hands are good; his sense is really good. We'll just take it a day at a time."

Forward Rich Peverley returned to practice with the Dallas Stars on Tuesday after being sidelined since last week following a procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat.

"I am not really worried about it. I am on medication to help me," Peverley told the Stars' website. "Even if it does come back, it is not a career-threatening thing. I could play through it, and there are other things they could do to help me."

Peverley, 31, was diagnosed last Wednesday after an EKG during testing prior to training camp. He had a corrective procedure in Cleveland, has skated three times since then and is expected to need three weeks to recover fully.

The San Jose Sharks sent 11 players to their American Hockey League affiliate, the Worcester Sharks, on Tuesday, leaving 42 players in training camp.

The 11 include goaltender JP Anderson, defensemen Konrad Abeltshauser, Kyle Bigos and Dylan DeMelo; centers Sebastian Stalberg, Travis Oleksuk and Marek Viedensky; and forwards Jimmy Bonneau, Chris Crane, Riley Brace and James Livingston.

The Chicago Blackhawks released or reassigned nine players on Tuesday, paring their training camp roster to 47.

The Blackhawks assigned forward David Gilbert to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League and returned three players to their junior teams. Five other players were released from training camp

The defending Stanley Cup champions' active roster includes 28 forwards, 14 defensemen and five goaltenders.

The Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday trimmed their training camp roster to 59 players as they released three players in camp on amateur tryouts.

Those let go were forward Brett Welychka, defenseman Jake Dotchin and goaltender Eric Brassard.

Brassard likely will play for the Charlottetown Islanders of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season.

Tampa Bay also signed 21-year-old forward Joel Vermin to a three-year, entry-level contract. The Lightning selected the Swiss native in the seventh round (No. 186) of the 2013 NHL Draft. Vermin had 13 goals and 35 points in 47 games with Bern of the Swiss A-League last season.

The Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday returned 2012 first-round pick Henrik Samuelsson to his junior team, the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League.

Samuelsson, a right wing selected with the 27th pick of the 2012 NHL Draft, had 33 goals and 80 points in 69 WHL games last season, and then had 11 goals and 19 points in 22 WHL playoff games.

The Toronto Maple Leafs reduced their training camp roster from 51 to 37 players Tuesday, sending 11 players to the American Hockey League and three others to their respective junior clubs.

Forwards Sam Carrick, Andrew Crescenzi, Jerry D'Amigo, Josh Leivo, Greg McKegg and Brad Ross; defensemen Petter Granberg, Dylan Yeo and Zachary Yuen; and goaltenders Christopher Gibson and Garret Sparks have all been assigned to the Toronto Marlies.

Forwards Frederik Gauthier (Rimouski, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) and Ryan Rupert (London, Ontario Hockey League), as well as defenseman Kevin Raine (Sudbury, OHL) were reassigned to junior.

The Ottawa Senators on Tuesday reduced their training-camp roster by returning four players to their junior teams.

Sent back were defenseman Ben Harpur (Guelph, Ontario Hockey League), forward Vincent Dunn (Gatineau, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League), and goaltenders Francois Brassard (Quebec, QMJHL) and Chris Driedger (Calgary, Western Hockey League).