Florida Panthers Starting Goalie Injured, Cooper Black to See NHL Action

Getty Jacob Markstrom in net against the Los Angeles Kings on October 6, 2026. The Florida Panthers’ goaltending depth will be tested over the next week or two . Head Coach Paul Maurice said on Tuesday afternoon that goalie Jacob Markstrom is out for the next 10-14 days .

Because the Florida Panthers need help in the crease, they recalled 6-foot-8 goalie Cooper Black from the Charlotte Checkers. “That’s a big lad,” Maurice said . “He moves like an athlete, so there’s some power to what he does.

We’re excited about it.” Akira Schmid will likely take the bulk of the starts as the Panthers head out for a four-game road trip today. The Florida Panthers will open the trip against the Ottawa Senators and then go to Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Winnipeg. Paul Maurice said it was a puck that injured Markstrom, presumably hitting him when he least expected it.

According to Jameson Olive, Markstrom was injured during practice on Monday. NHL debut coming for Cooper Black Over the last four years, undrafted goalie Cooper Black has been fighting to make it to the NHL. Black attended Dartmouth College (2022-2024), playing in 60 games for the Big Green.

Over that time, he posted a goals-against average of 2.82 and a save percentage of .904. That caught the attention of the Panthers in 2024 as they signed him to a two-year, two-way deal. Black joined the Checkers and even played in seven games in the ECHL with the Savannah Ghost Pirates during the 2024-25 season.

Should Black make his debut in Ottawa or Pittsburgh, then he will become the tallest goalie to appear in an NHL game at 6-foot-8. The current record holders, at least for the next few days, are Ben Bishop, Mikko Koskinen, Ivan Fedotov, and Mads Sogaard. Maurice has another day to make his decision, but it’s likely that Black will play in one of the next two contests since it’s a back-to-back.

The Checkers have leaned on Black to be their starter for the last two years. Last season he went 25-13-4 with a 2.67 GAA and a .919 SV%. He’s already 2-1 in three games this year before being called up to the NHL.

Panthers off to a good start to the 2026-27 season After missing the playoffs last season, the Florida Panthers are poised to make some noise. Through nine games, they’re 5-2-2 and have managed to play well with several pieces out of the lineup. Brad Marchand, Alexsander Barkov, and Jonah Gadjovich are the lone players on injured reserve.

Florida has still put together solid wins and seen a handful of hat tricks over the last handful of games. Last Saturday, Florida saw Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett each score three goals against the Seattle Kraken. Before that, it was Brady Tkachuk who notched a hat trick in back-to-back games last week.

First against the Columbus Blue Jackets and then the Vancouver Canucks. According to the NHL Stats department, Matthew Tkachuk assisted on each of his brother Brady’s first four goals of 2026-27. The last time a player factored on four consecutive goals by his brother was Luke and Jack Hughes from March 1-21, 2024 (4).

Brady Tkachuk also became the third player in NHL history to score a natural hat trick in consecutive games. The others: Petri Skriko (Nov. 18-21, 1986 w/ VAN) and Cy Denneny (Feb.

21-24, 1923 w/ SEN) Now the Panthers will aim to keep their impressive offensive play going on their next road trip. Follow Nick Kieser on Twitter/X: @KieserNick Nick Kieser Nick Kieser is a reporter covering the NHL & Nashville Predators for Heavy Sports & Lower Broad Hockey.

He grew up playing hockey in Nashville & and loves the storytelling aspect of the game. Upon graduating from WKU, he joined the radio flagship station of the Predators (102.5 The Game) as an Executive Producer and Reporter. More about Nick Kieser