Depth Over Star Power
Florida’s front office announced this week that it has reached an agreement with 24‑year‑old net‑minder Cooper Black, penning a two‑year, two‑way contract that keeps the youngster within the organization’s pipeline while the club evaluates the futures of Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov.
Black’s path to the NHL reads like a comeback story. After a modest debut at Dartmouth College — where he posted a 5‑23‑1 record with a .899 save percentage — he returned for a breakout senior season, improving to 13‑8‑8 with a .910 SV% and 2.58 goals‑against average. Prior to college he honed his game in the BCHL with the Nanaimo Clippers.
Following his collegiate surge, the Panthers signed him to an entry‑level contract and assigned him to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. In the 2024‑25 campaign he went 11‑4‑2 with a .910 SV% and 1.98 GAA, and the next season he posted a 25‑13‑4 record with a .903 SV% and 2.47 GAA, though his run ended in a three‑game sweep of the Calder Cup playoffs.
Despite those numbers, the organization views Black primarily as a depth option. With Bobrovsky and Tarasov both facing uncertain futures, the Panthers are likely to keep him behind the established starters, using his contract flexibility to shuffle roster spots as needed.
The move underscores a broader strategy of maintaining a robust goaltending corps while preserving roster flexibility. By locking Black in for two years, Florida retains a promising talent that could evolve into a starter should the need arise, but for now he remains the third‑string option heading into the next season.