Panthers Place MacKenzie Entwistle on Waivers With Aim to Assign Him to Charlotte AHL

The Florida Panthers have placed forward MacKenzie Entwistle on waivers, a move reported by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman. Friedman’s report also specifies the intent behind the transaction: the Panthers are looking to assign Entwistle to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL.

In NHL roster terms, a waiver placement is a procedural step that gives other teams an opportunity to claim a player before the player can be assigned within the organization. If Entwistle clears waivers, Florida can proceed with the AHL assignment, which typically means he would join Charlotte for games at the minor-league level.

The waiver placement highlights the way NHL teams manage early-season depth and player development. For players like Entwistle, assignment to an AHL affiliate often serves a dual purpose, maintaining their game-readiness while allowing the NHL club to keep its current roster aligned with its immediate needs.

Charlotte’s role matters in this specific case because the Panthers are explicitly directing the next step of Entwistle’s path to the Checkers. The AHL team is where organizations commonly fine-tune player roles, track progress in systems, and give prospects and role players consistent ice time that may be limited at the NHL level.

While Friedman’s reporting outlines the purpose of the move, the details that can follow a waiver are not guaranteed until the waiver process plays out. A claim by another NHL club would prevent Florida from sending Entwistle to Charlotte as planned, and it would shift the player’s situation to a new organization and roster.

For Panthers fans, the practical question becomes what Florida prioritizes next after the waiver decision. If Entwistle clears waivers, the club’s focus likely turns to his immediate impact in Charlotte, where his minutes, role, and matchup usage could influence his readiness for a later call-up. If he is claimed, Florida would instead need to adjust its depth planning.

What to watch next is straightforward but consequential: whether Entwistle clears waivers and, if he does, how quickly the Panthers can integrate him into the AHL lineup and return him to a regular rhythm of games. For the Charlotte Checkers, his arrival would also shape their forward rotation and in-practice structure as they prepare for the grind of the AHL season.