- Jacob Markstrom is expected to miss 10-14 days after taking a puck in practice
- Cooper Black, the 6-foot-8 rookie, was recalled from Charlotte and is in line for his NHL debut
- Read below for who starts Wednesday in Ottawa and how Markstrom has played
Jacob Markstrom is going to miss some time.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice announced Tuesday that the goaltender is expected to be out 10-14 days, according to Daily Faceoff. Markstrom got hit with a puck in practice Monday and stayed off the ice again Tuesday.
Maurice didn’t say exactly where the puck got him. NHL.com lists it as an upper-body injury, and it clearly landed somewhere that matters if it’s worth two weeks on the shelf.
Florida called up a replacement from Charlotte on Tuesday morning:
Cooper Black is back with the big club, and Maurice said he will see game action while Markstrom is out. Black will make his NHL debut on the four-game road trip that starts Wednesday against the Senators. When he does get in, he becomes the tallest goalie in league history at 6-foot-8.
Akira Schmid is expected to start against Ottawa, per NHL.com, with Black backing him up. That game also happens to be Brady Tkachuk’s return to Ottawa.
Black, a 25-year-old undrafted free agent out of Dartmouth, went 25-13-4 with Charlotte last season. He was up with the Panthers from Oct. 13 to 16 earlier this month but never got into a game.
Markstrom had been solid since Florida reacquired him from New Jersey in the offseason. He is 3-1-1 with a 2.21 goals-against average, a .897 save percentage and one shutout in six starts. He also missed two games last week with an undisclosed injury.
Defenseman Radko Gudas is healthy again and will return to the lineup Wednesday. Puck drop in Ottawa is 7:30 p.m. ET.
