Headlines

  • Alex Pietrangelo Expected To Miss 2025-26 Season
  • Senators Sign Claude Giroux To One-Year Extension
  • Stars Expected To Hire Glen Gulutzan As Head Coach
  • Blue Jackets Sign Dante Fabbro To Four-Year Extension
  • Lightning, Conor Sheary To Mutually Terminate Contract
  • Kraken To Buy Out Joe Veleno
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • Atlantic
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Central
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Utah Mammoth
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Metropolitan
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Pacific
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Partners
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Cooper Black

Panthers, Cooper Black Agree To Terms On Entry-Level Deal

April 2, 2024 at 9:42 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 4 Comments

The Panthers have agreed to terms with undrafted free agent goaltender Cooper Black on a two-year, entry-level contract beginning next season, GM Bill Zito announced Tuesday. His ELC boasts the maximum allowable base salary ($855K) and signing bonus ($95K), carrying a cap hit of $950K, per PuckPedia. He’ll earn a minor-league salary of $80K.

Black, 22, is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign with Dartmouth College. In 30 appearances, he recorded a .910 SV%, 2.58 GAA and two shutouts with a 13-8-8 record after winning only five games in 30 showings last season. He guided the Big Green to a fourth-place finish in conference play, sweeping their ECAC quarterfinal series against Union before losing 6-3 to the eventual champion Cornell in the semifinal. That earned him a nomination for the Ken Dryden ECAC Goaltender of the Year award, his second significant collegiate honor. He was named to the ECAC’s All-Rookie Team last season after playing in all 30 games as a freshman.

The Michigan native is listed as 6’8″ and 240 lbs, which would make him the tallest goalie in NHL history if he ever cracks the majors. Zito did not confirm if Black will finish this season on a tryout with AHL Charlotte, as is the norm for future contracts signed with time remaining in the season.

Black becomes the fifth goaltender under team control for 2024-25, joining Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight, as well as minor-league options Evan Cormier (pending RFA) and Mack Guzda (10.2(c)). Guzda has missed most of this season with injuries but could be in line for the starting role with Charlotte if the Panthers feel Knight is ready for full-time NHL action again next season. Knight, a 2019 first-round pick, is in the first season of a three-year, $13.5MM extension that still costs Florida $3.35MM against the cap when buried in the minors. He’s rebounded well in the minors after a slow start, posting a .905 SV% in 42 games on the year.

The Panthers likely won’t have Black occupy anything larger than an AHL backup role next season, although logging increased playing time as a starter for ECHL Florida is also an option. He’ll be an RFA in 2026 when his ELC expires.

Florida Panthers| Transactions Cooper Black

4 comments
  • Top Stories
  • Recent

Alex Pietrangelo Expected To Miss 2025-26 Season

Senators Sign Claude Giroux To One-Year Extension

Stars Expected To Hire Glen Gulutzan As Head Coach

Blue Jackets Sign Dante Fabbro To Four-Year Extension

Lightning, Conor Sheary To Mutually Terminate Contract

Kraken To Buy Out Joe Veleno

Maple Leafs Could File For Tampering If Mitch Marner Signs With Golden Knights

2025 NHL Draft Results By Team

Vladislav Gavrikov Expected To Reach Free Agency

Golden Knights, Maple Leafs Discussing Mitch Marner Trade

Alex Pietrangelo Expected To Miss 2025-26 Season

Senators Sign Claude Giroux To One-Year Extension

Stars Expected To Hire Glen Gulutzan As Head Coach

Ducks Sign Ville Husso To Two-Year Extension

Bruins Re-Sign Marat Khusnutdinov, Michael Callahan

Blue Jackets Sign Dante Fabbro To Four-Year Extension

Sharks Re-Sign Gabriel Carriere To Two-Way Deal

Islanders Re-Sign Liam Foudy, Julien Gauthier To Two-Way Deals

Lightning, Conor Sheary To Mutually Terminate Contract

Kraken To Buy Out Joe Veleno

Rumors By Team

Rumors By Team

  • Avalanche Rumors
  • Blackhawks Rumors
  • Blue Jackets Rumors
  • Blues Rumors
  • Bruins Rumors
  • Canadiens Rumors
  • Canucks Rumors
  • Capitals Rumors
  • Devils Rumors
  • Ducks Rumors
  • Flames Rumors
  • Flyers Rumors
  • Golden Knights Rumors
  • Hurricanes Rumors
  • Islanders Rumors
  • Jets Rumors
  • Kings Rumors
  • Kraken Rumors
  • Lightning Rumors
  • Mammoth Rumors
  • Maple Leafs Rumors
  • Oilers Rumors
  • Panthers Rumors
  • Penguins Rumors
  • Predators Rumors
  • Rangers Rumors
  • Red Wings Rumors
  • Sabres Rumors
  • Senators Rumors
  • Sharks Rumors
  • Stars Rumors
  • Wild Rumors

Latest Rumors & News

Latest Rumors & News

  • 2025’s Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents
  • Sam Bennett Rumors
  • Nikolaj Ehlers Rumors
  • Mitch Marner Rumors
  • Marco Rossi Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors Features

Pro Hockey Rumors Features

  • Support Pro Hockey Rumors And Go Ad-Free
  • 2025 Free Agent Focus Series
  • 2025 Offseason Checklist Series
  • 2025 NHL Free Agent List
  • 2026 NHL Free Agent List
  • Active Roster Tracker
  • Coaching Staff Directory
  • Draft Pick Tracker 2025
  • Key Offseason Dates
  • Offseason Trade Tracker
  • Pro Hockey Rumors On X
  • Pro Hockey Rumors Polls
  • Waiver Claims 2024-25

 

 

 

Navigation

  • Sitemap
  • Archives

PHR Info

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Commenting Policy

Connect

  • Contact Us
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top

Register

Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version