Florida Panthers Send Justin Sourdif to AHL Charlotte

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers sent rookie forward Justin Sourdif to their AHL team in Charlotte on Monday.

There was no other corresponding roster move meaning Will Lockwood will get into his first game with the Panthers Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks.

Sourdif, 21, made his NHL debut with the Panthers a week ago in Newark and played in a total of three games.

He joins fellow rookie Mackie Samoskevich with the Checkers after the Panthers sent him down — and recalled Lockwood — last Tuesday.

Florida coach Paul Maurice said last week that both players would “not be watching” as healthy scratches and needed to get games in.

As both are exempt from waivers, they can be called up or sent down throughout the season.

“I think there is a curve,’’ Maurice said on Monday when asked about Sourdif. “Young players have a training camp where they have to push very hard to do it and then in the season, it is a very different beast. You almost have to go back and learn everything again because the pace is so much faster in the regular season (compared to) exhibitions.

“He is doing that. I didn’t get him on the ice very much (Saturday) when you are chasing and I wanted to get some minutes from more proven scorers but he is in that role along with Samoskevich in which if he is in, we’re trying to win those games. If he’s scoring, he will play more. If not, he’s not going to sit around and watch a lot of hockey.”