Panthers Lose Jacob Markstrom for Two Weeks, Call Up 6-Foot-8 Goalie Cooper Black

The Florida Panthers are officially testing the limits of their depth chart. According to Daily Faceoff, starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom is set to miss the next 10 to 14 days with an injury, forcing the team to scramble their crease.

To fill the void, Florida is calling up Cooper Black. If you are unfamiliar with the Dartmouth product, just picture a standard NHL net and then imagine a 6-foot-8, 240-pound human completely eclipsing it.

"Daily Faceoff reported the 10-14 day timeline and the Cooper Black recall."

Losing Markstrom right now is a brutal blow for a roster already operating like a triage unit. The 36-year-old veteran was off to a rock-solid start, posting a 3-1-1 record with a 2.21 goals-against average before hitting the shelf.

This is not the first time Markstrom has dealt with lower-body wear and tear, having missed time with a knee sprain during his stint with the New Jersey Devils last season. When your starting goalie is closer to 40 than 30, a two-week absence is just the cost of doing business.

The timing is objectively terrible for Florida. The Panthers are already missing their captain Aleksander Barkov for the next six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury, plus veteran defenseman Radko Gudas is banged up.

Bettors looking at Florida's upcoming schedule need to adjust their math immediately. The Panthers are heading into a nasty road back-to-back against the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins starting October 21.

Florida just hung eight goals on the Seattle Kraken, so the offense can clearly still operate without Barkov. But asking a backup tandem featuring a rookie who needs to duck to get through the locker room door to hold down the fort on a road trip is a completely different wager.

We will see exactly how much trust the coaching staff has in their giant rookie over the next two weeks. If Black gets the nod in Ottawa or Pittsburgh, expect the over to become a very popular ticket.