Florida Panthers Recall Ten Players
4:00 PM: The Panthers have officially announced the recalls, and added one name that wasn’t included in Richards’ report: goaltender Evan Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick, 25, is a 2016 second-round pick who played in 17 games with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades and posted an 11-3-1 record and .921 save percentage in those games. Fitzpatrick saw action in one AHL game this season, stopping 23 of 25 shots in an April 1st overtime loss to the Springfield Thunderbirds. With Guzda, Lyon, and Bobrovsky ahead of him on the depth chart something would have to go quite wrong for him to see time in these playoffs, so this recall is more about adding some depth to the team than anything else.
10:37 AM: The Florida Panthers have brought up their complement of Black Aces for the remainder of the playoffs today ahead of Game 3 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Per Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards, the following players have been brought up from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers:
F Connor Bunnaman
F Grigori Denisenko
F Patrick Giles
F Aleksi Heponiemi
D Lucas Carlsson
D Matt Kiersted
D Santtu Kinnunen
D John Ludvig
D Calle Själin
G Mack Guzda
The recalls come after the Hershey Bears eliminated Charlotte from the Calder Cup Playoffs on May 4, taking their Atlantic Division semifinal series by a count of 3-1.
The two most intriguing names on this list are Denisenko and Heponiemi, both previously highly-touted prospects that have yet to make a notable NHL impact. Denisenko struggled in the minors this year and posted no points and a -1 rating in four playoff games for Charlotte. The 24-year-old Heponiemi, however, led the team with seven points in seven playoff games.
One name that Panthers fans will definitely recognize is Carlsson, who dropped back into an AHL role this season after appearing in 40 games for Florida during 2021-22. Carlsson was one of the best defenders in the AHL this season, recording 54 points in 61 games along with a +24 rating. He’s one of the more dependable recall options for Florida should injuries pop up among their defensemen.
The 24-year-old Kinnunen is also a name to watch for in the coming years. A seventh-round pick of the Panthers in 2018, Kinnunen broke out for 35 points in 69 regular-season games and six points in seven playoff games for Charlotte during his first season in North America.
Panthers Send Lucas Carlsson To Minors
Recently being recalled by the Florida Panthers ahead of their Game Four loss to the Boston Bruins, defenseman Lucas Carlsson will be sent back down to the AHL. As defenseman Aaron Ekblad finds his way back into the lineup after missing Game Three, the Panthers have announced they have loaned Carlsson to their AHL affiliate Charlotte Checkers.
Carlsson played in about half of all the Panthers games last season but has spent the majority of this season playing for the Checkers, as he has only suited up for the Panthers twice in the regular season. In 61 games in Charlotte, Carlsson put together quite an outstanding season in the AHL, scoring 20 goals and tallying 34 assists. During the Checkers opening round matchup in the Calder Cup playoffs, Carlsson scored four points in three games.
Likely being included on the Game Four roster due to injuries, the team has decided his talent is better spent helping Charlotte on their quest for the Calder Cup. In their first-round matchup against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Charlotte was able to move past them in three games. As they now look towards the Atlantic Division Semifinals, Charlotte will take on the second-place Hershey Bears.
Panthers Recall Lucas Carlsson
After Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad left last night’s loss to Boston early with an injury, they’ve opted to bring up some extra depth on the back end. Florida has recalled blueliner Lucas Carlsson from Charlotte of the AHL, per the AHL’s transactions log.
The 25-year-old spent the majority of this season with the Checkers and was one of the top-scoring defensemen in the minors, collecting 20 goals and 34 assists in 61 games. That helped earn him a spot on the second All-Star team. For context, his career goal total in the AHL heading into this season was 18 in 143 contests. He’s off to a nice start to the playoffs as well, picking up four points in three games in their first-round victory over Lehigh Valley.
However, despite how well Carlsson performed in the minors, it didn’t translate into much NHL time as he played just twice for Florida this season. By comparison, he suited up in 40 contests for the Panthers last year, a career-high.
Even if Ekblad isn’t able to play, there’s a chance that Carlsson won’t be the one taking his place in the lineup. The Panthers also have Casey Fitzgerald and rookie Michael Benning on the active roster and one of them could get the nod as well. But if they’re looking for someone to play on the power play especially, Carlsson could be an interesting addition to the lineup with how things have gone for him this season in Charlotte.