The Florida Panthers have announced that forward Chris Tierney has been loaned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.
The move frees another spot on the Panthers’ roster, and they now have two open spots for players should they choose to call up others from the AHL or activate one of their two players on long-term injured reserve.
Tierney, 28, has played five NHL games with the Panthers this season, scoring three points.
He’s done so in an extremely limited role, having played just under eight minutes of ice time per night.
Those three points in five games is solid work for an AHL call-up, and Tierney’s quality play this year has extended to his time in the AHL.
With the Checkers, Tierney has 16 points in 19 games, good for second-most on the team.
While this loan back to the AHL isn’t exactly good news for him, Tierney has given the Panthers exactly what they were hoping for when they signed him to a one-year, league-minimum two-way deal over the summer.
For just $750k against the cap, providing near point-per-game AHL production and chipping in some points on an NHL call-up is nothing to scoff at.
His form is especially encouraging given the circumstances of his exit from his previous organization, the Ottawa Senators.
Once a 48-point scorer, Tierney went from being a potential long-term piece to a salary cap anchor.
Injuries played their role, and Tierney’s time in Ottawa ended with an unceremonious 18 points in 70 games.
He seems to have now placed the frustration of his last few years behind him and is providing the Panthers with a nice return on their investment.
With this loan back to the AHL, Tierney will return to Charlotte and look to resume his role as one of the team’s top scorers, with the hope that his continued quality play can earn him another recall to the NHL roster.
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