Panthers' Tomas Nosek: Set to miss several months

General manager Bill Zito said Wednesday that Nosek sustained a significant knee injury during the offseason and will miss several months to begin the regular season, David Dwork of The Hockey News reports.

Nosek inked a one-year contract to remain with the Panthers during the offseason, but he'll miss the start of the year due to his injury, which will likely lead to increased playing time for Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist. Nosek made 59 regular-season appearances during his first season in Florida last year, recording a goal, eight assists, 83 hits and 24 blocked shots while averaging a career-low 9:49 of ice time.