2025-26
Record: 40-38-4, 7th in Atlantic Division
Playoffs: Missed Stanley Cup Playoffs
Key Losses
G – Sergei Bobrovsky (TOR), F – Mackie Samoskevich (Trade w/ SEA), F – A.J. Greer (Trade w/ ANA), F – Evan Rodrigues (Trade w/ NJ), F – Jesper Boqvist (Trade w/ NJ), G – Daniil Tarasov (DET), F – Vinnie Hinostroza (COL)
Key Additions
F – Brady Tkachuk (Trade w/ OTT), Garnet Hathaway (Trade w/ PHI), D – Radko Gudas (Trade w/ ANA), G – Akira Schmid (Trade w/ VGK), G – Jacob Markstrom (Trade w/ NJ), D – Alexander Petrovic (Signed via FA), F – Lars Eller (Signed via FA)
2026-27 Preview
Looking to Wreck the NHL
The Florida Panthers enter the 2026-27 season healthy, reloaded, and determined to reclaim the Stanley Cup. After moving on from forwards Mackie Samoskevich, A.J. Greer, Evan Rodrigues, and Jesper Boqvist, Florida responded with a series of high-profile additions, acquiring forwards Brady Tkachuk and Garnet Hathaway, along with defenseman Radko Gudas.
The headline move was the acquisition of Brady Tkachuk, reuniting him with his brother, Matthew, in South Florida. Tkachuk reportedly exercised his no-move clause to facilitate a trade to the Panthers, bringing an end to his tenure in Ottawa. His arrival gives Florida another elite power forward and creates one of the NHL’s most formidable family reunions.
Florida continued to add toughness by acquiring Hathaway from the Philadelphia Flyers, while also bringing back Gudas in a trade with Anaheim. Gudas, who previously spent time with the Panthers, returns to provide a familiar physical presence and veteran leadership on the blue line.
Taken together, these moves reinforce the identity that has made Florida one of the league’s premier teams. The Panthers are built on a combination of skill, physicality, and depth, and this offseason only strengthened that formula. On paper, they look even more difficult to play against and appear well-positioned to pursue a third Stanley Cup championship in four seasons.
Rebounding from an Injury Plagued Season
The Florida Panthers enter the 2026-27 season with a renewed sense of optimism after enduring one of the most injury-riddled campaigns in franchise history. Despite remaining competitive throughout the year, Florida set a franchise record by losing 541 man-games to injury. The sheer volume of absences tested the organization’s depth and resilience from opening night through the playoffs.
The Panthers were forced to navigate the season without captain Aleksander Barkov, who missed the entire year, while star winger Matthew Tkachuk was sidelined for the first 47 games. Losing two of the franchise’s cornerstone players for extended periods dramatically altered the team’s lineup and forced other players into larger roles than originally anticipated. Even so, Florida remained in the hunt thanks to contributions throughout the roster and the organization’s next-man-up mentality.
Now, the outlook is considerably brighter. With Barkov expected to return to the lineup and Tkachuk entering the season healthy, the Panthers will finally have an opportunity to ice the roster they envisioned. Those returns, coupled with an aggressive offseason that brought in Brady Tkachuk, Garnet Hathaway, and Radko Gudas, give Florida a lineup that is deeper, more physical, and better equipped for another lengthy postseason run.
The biggest key for the Panthers will simply be staying healthy. If Florida can avoid the injury bug that plagued it throughout the 2025-26 season, there is every reason to believe it will once again be among the favorites to win the Atlantic Division and contend for the Stanley Cup. After proving they could survive despite losing key players, the Panthers now have the chance to show just how dangerous they can be with a healthy roster from opening night through the playoffs.
Projected Lineup
Offense
Brady Tkachuk — Aleksander Barkov — Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe — Sam Bennett — Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen — Anton Lundell — Brad Marchand
Sandis Vilmanis — Lars Eller – Garnet Hathaway
Defense
Gustav Forsling — Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola — Seth Jones
Dmitry Kulikov — Radko Gudas
Goalies
Jacob Markstrom
Akira Schmid