By Michael Russo

SUNRISE · The Panthers are hoping the inherent bad Bure knee hasn't struck again.

A week after older brother Pavel had surgery on his twice-rebuilt right knee, Valeri Bure headed for Birmingham, Ala., on Monday to have his twice-operated-on right knee examined by orthopedic surgeon James Andrews.

Bure has been experiencing soreness and occasional swelling since he started skating last month, but the Panthers don't think it's anything major.

"The season is starting, and we don't want to go into the season and find out there is something wrong with him," General Manager Rick Dudley said. "We don't anticipate that. Nobody thinks it's anything serious.

"The worst that it could be is that he might need a cleanup, and that would be a minor thing."

If Bure does need arthroscopic surgery, he could probably begin rehab a few days later. But the Panthers don't think it'll get to that point.

"I think he just wants mental reassurance that he's 100 percent prepared to go to work," coach Mike Keenan said. "He's been working awfully hard in camp and just wants to make sure everything's in order and that he can enter the season confident."

Bure was limited to 18 points in 31 games in his first season as a Panther. After a brief holdout, Bure hurt his knee in camp. But he played through the pain until it was discovered after the sixth game of the season that he had a torn meniscus.

Bure underwent surgery and missed 37 games, returning in January. But Bure never felt the knee healed properly and in March he flew to Birmingham to be operated on by Andrews, who had reconstructed Pavel's knee in 1999. Valeri missed the final 14 games of last season as Andrews cleaned up some loose cartilage.

In the meantime, Viktor Kozlov took Bure's spot on the right side of the top line in Monday's practice and Keenan liked what he saw Monday and in Saturday's game in Tampa. Keenan is contemplating moving Kozlov from his normal center position to open up some ice for him.

It would also create another spot at center.

If Keenan goes with the current blueprint, Olli Jokinen would move up and become the No. 1 center. With Kozlov on the wing, it creates an opening so Byron Ritchie and Ryan Johnson can center a line. It also opens a spot for Stephen Weiss to make the team.

"We would have room if Steve makes it and Johnson just refuses not to be played and likewise Ritchie," Keenan said. "You have to reward players like Johnson and Ritchie and this is one way to make it happen.

"Based on their efforts so far in training camp, they both deserve to be on the hockey club. If they were on the bubble, they refuse to stay there."

Having the 6-foot-5 Kozlov on the wing gives the Panthers a player with size, skill and strength on the boards. Because of Kozlov's hard shot and speed, Keenan feels this is a way to add offense.

"I feel comfortable as long as I'm not playing goalie," Kozlov said. "I feel right away that there's less work in the defensive zone because the wing just has to control the defenseman. As soon as you get the puck, you just go on offense. It will give me more ice and more energy."

But teams that win have dominant centers, so can the Panthers be successful with Jokinen, who has 87 points in 314 games, as the No. 1 line center?

"Olli's an aggressive centerman, assertive in his play and he's got some experience," Keenan said. "He works extremely hard in practice, he's got a good talent base, he wants to do well and he's worked for his ice time."

Waiver draft next

There will be a roster freeze today at 2 as teams submit their protected and available players lists for Friday's waiver draft. The lists will be released Wednesday.

Dudley has been talking with a number of other managers to get an idea of who may be available.

"Every team seems to have some kids who have performed extremely well, so there may be some bigger names left exposed," Dudley said. "If there's a player that would make us a significantly better team, I don't have any doubts whatsoever that [owner] Alan [Cohen] would say, `Do it.'"