The Florida Panthers’ blue line has taken another hit, as defenseman Tobias Bjornfot has been placed on injured reserve following an injury suffered during Wednesday night’s 5-4 shootout win over the Boston Bruins.
While the team hasn’t disclosed the specifics of the injury, Bjornfot’s exit marks yet another setback for a Florida squad already navigating a tough stretch of the season. In response, the Panthers have called up Mikulas Hovorka from their AHL affiliate in Charlotte, giving the 24-year-old Czech defenseman his first NHL opportunity.
Bjornfot, also 24, has been skating in a limited third-pairing role since joining the Panthers, appearing in 10 games and registering two goals and one assist. While his ice time has been modest, he’s shown flashes of the smooth-skating, positionally sound defenseman scouts saw when he was taken 22nd overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2019 NHL Draft.
His NHL journey so far has been anything but smooth. After four-plus seasons in the Kings organization, Bjornfot never quite cemented a full-time role.
His most extended stint came in 2021-22, when he logged 70 games but managed just eight assists. He was waived by the Kings midway through the 2023-24 season and briefly picked up by the Vegas Golden Knights.
After just two games and another stint on injured reserve, he was waived again and landed in Florida.
Now on a one-year, $775,000 deal, Bjornfot is set to become a restricted free agent at season’s end - a critical juncture in his career as he looks to prove he can be a reliable depth option in the NHL.
In the meantime, the Panthers are turning to Hovorka, a towering 6-foot-6 presence on the back end. Undrafted and signed by Florida last season, Hovorka has quietly put together a solid campaign in the AHL, tallying two goals and eight assists in 30 games with the Charlotte Checkers. While he’s still raw, his size and reach make him an intriguing call-up - particularly for a Florida team that could use some fresh legs and physicality on the blue line.
As the Panthers prepare for their final game before the Olympic break - a key divisional matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning - they’ll be doing so with a reshuffled defense corps and playoff hopes still flickering. Florida currently sits eight points out of a postseason spot in the Eastern Conference, and every game from here on out carries weight.
The hope is that Hovorka can hold his own in his NHL debut, and that Bjornfot’s absence won’t stretch too long. For a team trying to claw its way back into contention, depth and resilience are going to be just as important as star power down the stretch.