Panthers recall veteran forward Chris Tierney

After sending Chris Tierney down to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers a few days back, the Florida Panthers recalled the forward Thursday.

The 28-year-old veteran of more than 500 NHL games joined the Panthers this past offseason, somewhat surprisingly, on a two-way deal. His offensive production had trailed off throughout his four seasons with the Ottawa Senators, and he couldn’t crack the Panthers roster out of training camp.

That led to Tierney not being a full-time NHLer for the first time since 2014-15, his first professional season. Even then, he was point-per-game in the AHL and played the majority of his games that season in the NHL.

Tierney has done well in the minors, recording 16 points in 20 games, but scored just three goals. Things have seemed to go better than expected for him in Sunrise, though, as he has three points through his five NHL appearances this season. It’s especially impressive given his minimal usage, as he’s played under eight minutes per game with Florida.

It’s unclear what exactly motivated Tierney’s recall, as Florida doesn’t have any injuries necessitating his presence. It could be that the Panthers want as large a roster as possible for their upcoming West Coast road trip, which they now do with 23 healthy skaters.