Panthers Acquire Kaapo Kahkonen In Exchange For Chris Driedger

The Panthers are shaking up their goaltending depth, acquiring Kaapo Kahkonen from Winnipeg in exchange for Chris Driedger.

Kahkonen, 28, is 6-14-0 with a 3.29 goals-against average and an .885 save percentage this season for the Manitoba Moose, who have toiled in the cellar of the Western Conference for much of the year. The Finnish netminder also appeared in one game for the Colorado Avalanche this season and two for the Colorado Eagles.

This marks the first AHL action for Kahkonen since the 2019-20 season, and over his career he is 48-36-18 with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage in the AHL - including earning the Baz Bastien Memorial Award as the league’s best goaltender in 2019-20. A fourth-round pick in 2014, he has appeared in 140 career NHL games and posted a 49-68-15 record with a 3.34 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage. Prior to making the jump to North America in 2018, Kahkonen also went 38-50-27 with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage in 117 Liiga games in his native Finland.

Driedger, 30, went 10-6-4 with a 2.97 goals-against average and an .878 save percentage in 20 appearances for Charlotte this season.

Kahkonen will now report to Charlotte.

The Checkers are back in action this weekend as they host the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for a pair of games starting Saturday.