Panthers get some terrible injury news on goalie Jacob Markstrom

The Florida Panthers are still early in their 2026-27 campaign, but they're already dealing with some frustrating goaltending issues. Jacob Markstrom, who was brought back to South Florida this past offseason, has been a steady presence between the pipes so far. Unfortunately for the Cats, that steadiness just took a hit, and the timing couldn't be worse with a four-game road trip on the horizon.

Markstrom Goes Down in Practice

Head coach Paul Maurice broke the news on Tuesday that Markstrom will be sidelined for 10 to 14 days after suffering an injury during Monday's practice session. According to Maurice, the 36-year-old Swede was struck by a puck during the session, and whatever area it caught him was enough to keep him off the ice entirely on Tuesday as well. Maurice didn't elaborate much beyond that, but for a puck to knock a goaltender out for potentially two weeks, it clearly found a vulnerable spot.

This is actually the second time Markstrom has dealt with health concerns already this season. He previously sat out two games last week with an undisclosed issue. Through six appearances, he had been performing well, posting a 3-1-1 record with a 2.21 goals-against average, an .897 save percentage, and one shutout. The Panthers acquired him along with Angus Crookshank from the New Jersey Devils over the summer, sending Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, and Ben Steeves the other way.

With Markstrom unavailable, the Panthers moved quickly to shore up their goaltending depth. They recalled Cooper Black from the AHL's Charlotte Checkers on Tuesday. Akira Schmid figures to handle the bulk of the starts while Markstrom recovers, but Maurice confirmed that Black will also see action and is set to make his NHL debut during the upcoming road trip. Schmid has appeared in four games this year, going 2-1-1 with a 3.25 GAA and an .878 save percentage.

A Record-Setting Debut on the Horizon

Black's call-up is noteworthy for more than just the circumstances. The 25-year-old from Alpena, Michigan stands at a towering 6-foot-8, and when he gets into his first NHL game, he'll become the tallest goaltender in league history. He's been solid with Charlotte to start the year, carrying a 2-1-0 record with a .919 save percentage and a 2.67 GAA across three appearances. He was actually recalled by Florida briefly earlier this month but didn't get into any games during that stint.

Black also had a strong rookie AHL campaign last season, finishing 25-13-4 and helping the Checkers to a third-place finish in the Atlantic Division. It'll be fascinating to see how that size translates at the NHL level, even if the Panthers would obviously prefer to have their starter healthy.

On a more positive note, Maurice also shared that defenseman Radko Gudas is healthy and expected to slot back into the lineup on Wednesday night. Gudas has missed the last three contests with an undisclosed injury, so his return gives the Panthers a boost on the blue line as they kick off their road trip against the Ottawa Senators with a 7:30 p.m. ET puck drop. Florida will need all the help they can get as they navigate the next couple of weeks without their number one netminder.