The Florida Panthers have made a forward swap, bringing Cole Schwindt back up from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers and sending Sam Lafferty down in the corresponding move.
Schwindt, 25, had just gotten back into AHL action for the first time since the 2023-24 season, when he was with the Calgary Flames. Florida did not have room for him on the opening-night roster because the team entered the 2026-27 season relatively healthy, but he has done enough with Charlotte to earn another look. In five games, Schwindt has posted one goal and three points with a -1 rating.
Last season, Schwindt ended up sticking around with the Panthers for a longer stretch after injuries piled up across the roster. His own season was interrupted early, too, when he fractured his arm in November and missed several months. He wrapped up the year with five goals and seven points in 29 games, along with a +2 rating, while averaging 10:02 of ice time per game.
Lafferty, meanwhile, is headed to Charlotte to delay his waiver eligibility. The eight-year NHL veteran was brought back on October 3 after captain Aleksander Barkov was injured, but his time on the roster has put him just five games and/or 14 days away from needing waivers again.
He also hasn’t found much rhythm since joining Florida this offseason on a one-year, $850K contract. In five games, Lafferty has not scored and sits at a -4 rating. Even though more than 70% of his shifts have started in the offensive zone, he has won just eight of 32 faceoffs and carries the team’s worst CorsiFor at 36.4% in all situations.
In Other News...
Panthers Give Former Final Cut Another Shot When They Need Him Most
Cole Reinhardt is back in the Panthers mix at a time when roster flexibility matters almost as much as production. Florida brought him up on an emergency basis and then made the move official, a sign the team needed another forward option as it juggles salary cap constraints and player availability.
Reinhardt should get his first look of the season in an upcoming game in Ottawa, the city where he spent the first five years of his pro career. For a player who was on the outside looking in not long ago, it is another chance to show he can help when the Panthers need bodies and depth most. [Read more 🡒]
Carter Verhaeghe Is Heating Up At The Perfect Time For Florida
Carter Verhaeghe keeps finding the net at the right time for Florida, and his latest burst was another reminder of how dangerous he can be when the Panthers are rolling. He is tied for the team lead in goals this season, and his scoring pace has picked up compared with previous years, giving Florida a reliable finishing touch as the stretch run begins to matter more.
What made this outburst even more notable is that he shared the spotlight with Sam Bennett in a way the Panthers had never seen before. It was the first time in franchise history that two Florida players each scored a natural hat trick in the same game, a rare kind of offensive eruption that says plenty about how well the top end of the lineup is clicking right now. [Read more 🡒]
Brady Tkachuk Just Changed The Panthers Top Line Conversation
Brady Tkachuks week gave the Panthers something they have not had much trouble creating this season: a genuine top-line conversation. After a slower start, the winger burst back into form by being named the NHLs first star of the week, piling up six goals and 10 points in four games while finding an obvious rhythm next to his brother Matthew.
The surge has altered the way Florida has to think about its best scoring unit, especially with Brady suddenly driving results instead of simply fitting into the mix. What makes it even more notable is how quickly the chemistry has translated into production, turning a short stretch into a much bigger question about what this line can become if the momentum keeps building. [Read more 🡒]