Al Montoya (head) has been cleared to return to action for the Panthers on Friday, Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel reports.

Montoya (head) has been cleared to return to action for the Panthers on Friday, Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel reports.

Analysis:

With Montoya healthy, Mike McKenna will be sent back to the AHL. The veteran backup left the Feb. 28 game very early in the first period which forced starter Roberto Luongo onto the ice on his off day. Although used infrequently, Montoya has put up some great numbers this season, including a 1.96 GAA and a 9-4-2 record. The netminder is unlikely to start until Florida's next back-to-back in mid-March.