Brandon Pirri (concussion) participated in the Panthers' morning skate and could be a lineup option for Saturday's match with the Predators, Craig Davis of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Pirri (concussion) participated in the Panthers' morning skate and could be a lineup option for Saturday's match with the Predators, Craig Davis of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Analysis:

In addition to Pirri, fellow injured forwards Scottie Upshall and Sean Bergenheim took to the ice. Coach Gerard Gallant was reluctant to say whether any of those players would return to the lineup later in the evening, but Pirri and Upshall in particular seemed to be ready to go. No decision on the status of either player will likely be known until the Panthers take part in their pregame warmup. Unlike Upshall, Pirri would face the added complication of having to be activated from injured reserve, a move that would likely force the team to send Rocco Grimaldi back to AHL San Antonio.