With Bobrovsky and his wife expecting a baby, Panthers recall Driedger from AHL’s Charlotte

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Panthers are keeping starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky at home to start a two-game road trip and sending standout rookie Mackie Samoskevich down to the minors.

There’s an excellent reason for both moves.

With Bobrovsky and his wife expecting a baby, the Panthers recalled goaltender Chris Driedger from their AHL affiliate in Charlotte on Monday and loaned Samoskevich to the Checkers to ensure that the move would be salary-cap compliant.

The Panthers play at Pittsburgh on Tuesday and at Philadelphia on Thursday.

Bobrovsky is 11-5-1 this season for the defending Stanley Cup champions. Samoskevich has five goals — three of them game-winners — in his last 13 games, and the Panthers are 5-0-0 when he gets a goal.