The Florida Panthers have placed Jonathan Ang on unconditional waivers according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The 22-year-old forward is in the final year of his entry-level deal and will likely be ticketed for a mutual contract termination should he clear tomorrow.
Drafted in the fourth round in 2016, Ang had been a young star for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL, scoring 21 goals and 49 points in his draft year. It appeared as though there was a lot more offensive upside to the undersized center, but Ang only marginally improved his scoring output the next two seasons. Still, after signing an entry-level contract in 2017, he made his professional debut in the 2018-19 season and scored 25 points in 75 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL. Last year, he recorded 21 points in 49 games, a much better pace but still not the level that some had hoped he would reach.
Now, should the contract termination go through, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent allowed to pursue other opportunities around the globe. Perhaps a European stint would allow him to continue his development, or perhaps another minor league team will snatch him up. For now, it appears as though his days with the Panthers organization are over.