The Florida Panthers celebrated a historic win by clinching their first Stanley Cup earlier this year.
However, like many champions in the salary-cap era, they now face challenges in maintaining their roster depth for the upcoming season. While they’ve managed to keep most of their core players, there are gaps further down the lineup that need addressing.
The Panthers had limited draft picks this year but made strategic trades to acquire more capital. Linus Eriksson emerged as a standout prospect after a strong season with Djurgardens IF, scoring three goals and 11 points over 29 games. He also shined on the international stage with seven goals and 22 points in 22 matches for Sweden’s U18 team. Simon Zether is another promising pick who played 42 games in the Swedish Hockey League last year and contributed four assists .
New Signings:
Florida signed several free agents to bolster their roster: Adam Boqvist (one year, $775K), Jesper Boqvist (one year, $775K), Chris Driedger (one year, $795K), MacKenzie Entwistle (one year, $775K), A.J. Greer (two years, $1.7M), Jaycob Megna (one year, $775K), Tomas Nosek (one year, $775K), and Nate Schmidt (one year, $800K). Most of these contracts are two-way deals.
A big chunk of cap space was allocated to Sam Reinhart’s new eight-year deal worth $69M. The team hopes Adam Boqvist can overcome past injuries and contribute significantly on defense after being let go by Columbus Blue Jackets due to underperformance last season.
Fans might feel optimistic about these additions but cautious about how they’ll fit into the team’s strategy.
Nate Schmidt brings valuable experience and could secure a top-four spot on defense thanks to his solid career stats like a 50.6 CorsiFor percentage.
Anton Lundell re-signed for six years at $30M. He’s been crucial since his rookie season with Florida, tallying up 43 goals and 112 points over 216 games. His performance was key during their Stanley Cup run with three goals and 17 points in the playoffs.
Departures:
The Panthers saw several players leave: Lucas Carlsson (San Jose), Nick Cousins (Ottawa), Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Toronto), Casey Fitzgerald (NY Rangers), Magnus Hellberg (Dallas), Ryan Lomberg (Calgary), Brandon Montour (Seattle), Kevin Stenlund (Utah), Anthony Stolarz (Toronto) and Vladimir Tarasenko (Detroit). The loss of Montour and Ekman-Larsson is particularly concerning as they combined for significant contributions last season.
Cousins, Lomberg, and Stenlund added grit that made Florida tough opponents; replicating that tenacity will be vital this season .
Salary-Cap Outlook:
With only $766K left in cap space heading into the regular season, Florida will need careful management throughout the year but should have room to make moves at the trade deadline without needing major trades thanks to an intact core lineup .
Next summer could bring drama with key players like Ekblad expected to reach unrestricted free agency along with Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe ?
Key Questions:
Where Will The Physicality Come From? Last year’s physical play was crucial; four out of twelve top hitters left via free agency—can Megna alone fill this gap or will trade deadline moves be necessary?
What Is The Plan For Spencer Knight? Once an exciting goaltending prospect who led them through an impressive campaign resulting in a three-year contract extension worth $13.5M—Knight spent all last season playing backup after Bobrovsky reclaimed starting duties ! Given his high salary ($4.5M) as backup goalie—will they consider trading him if reasonable offers come through?
What do you think about these changes? Share your thoughts!
