Florida Panthers To Recall Nolan Foote

The Florida Panthers have recalled forward Nolan Foote from their AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, per Five Reasons Sports’ Alex Baumgartner. The move has not yet been officially confirmed by the team.

Foote’s recall comes as the Panthers manage numerous injuries to their forward corps. Star Sam Reinhart is out for at least the team’s upcoming four-game road trip, and Sam Bennett is out on a day-to-day basis. The team is also dealing with older injuries to stars such as Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand.

While those injuries are undoubtedly unfortunate for the Panthers, and have greatly contributed to the team’s year-over-year decline, the injuries also present an opportunity for Foote. This recall gives the 2019 first-round pick the chance to play in his first NHL games of the season, and the chance to make his Panthers debut.

A 6’3″ winger, Foote has scored at a steady rate in the AHL over the last few years. He’s reached at least 32 points in each of the last four seasons he’s been healthy for, and last season scored a career-high 39 points in 53 games with the Utica Comets. While his star as a prospect has dimmed since his days in the New Jersey Devils organization, he’s still just 25 years old, and a lengthy NHL career could still be ahead of him.

For him to be able to have that kind of NHL career, the first step will be to seize on the opportunities he’s presented with. AHL players don’t get to pick and choose when their NHL opportunities arrive, and Foote is no different. NHL games are NHL games, and for Foote, any he’s able to dress for with the Panthers will be high-stakes contests.

As a pending RFA, he’s playing not only to prove he belongs in Florida’s plans moving forward, but perhaps also to earn a raise on his next contract. Foote’s current deal is a two-way pact with a league-minimum NHL salary and a $250K total guarantee. If he can string together some quality NHL performances, and perhaps find a way to stick in Sunrise for the rest of the season, he could make a serious push to earn a one-way contract – or at least an even greater guarantee – for next season.