In this series, Heavy Sports is looking at what every NHL team has done over the offseason. Next up is the Florida Panthers. Florida had a tough season this past year in their quest to defend their 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup championships as they missed out on postseason contention. The team were riddled with injuries that derailed the campaign, none more impactful than captain Alexander Barkov being out for the season. The Panthers are in a good position to get back into the playoff mix next year in what has been an active offseason for the squad.
Who are Florida’s Additions?
Key additions: John Beecher, Angus Crookshank, Lars Eller, Radko Gudas, Garnet Hathaway, Bokondji Imama, Sam Lafferty, Jacob Markstrom, Alex Petrovic, Akira Schmid, Brady Tkachuk
The biggest addition of the summer for this team is the acquisition of Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators. Brady teams up with his brother Matthew for the first time at the NHL level; those two will be a nightmare for opposing teams to match up against. The former New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom takes over for Sergei Bobrovsky in net as the team’s starter. Markstrom should be able to fill the void lost there. Akira Schmid replaces Danill Tarasov as the backup in goal. Radko Gudas provides even more physicality to this bruising group on defense. Gudas was signed to a long-term six year $9 million contract upon being acquired by the team. Forward Eutu Luostarinen also received term with the club as he inked a $40 million deal coming in at eight years. Lars Eller and Garnet Hathaway add depth to the bottom of the lineup.
Who are Florida’s Subtractions?
Key subtractions: Mike Benning, Sergei Bobrovsky, Jesper Boqvist, AJ Greer, Noah Gregor, Vinnie Hinostroza, Luke Kunin, Tomas Nosek, Evan Rodrigues, Mackie Samoskevich, Wilmer Skoog, Jack Studnicka, Daniil Tarasov
The most notable loss is Bobrovsky to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has been a stable presence in net that has played a key role in backstopping Florida to multiple Stanley cups during his tenure with the team. Although, his form noticeably dropped off this year after what was the worst statistical season of his career for the 37 year old veteran. Matthew Samoskevich will be missed on offense; the young forward having been dealt to the Seattle Kraken. The rest of the departures are secondary pieces that have since been filled.
Overall, it has been a productive offseason once again for general manager Bill Zito. His ability to keep this elite core together has been impressive in this era of big-ticket contracts being handed out on a silver platter. This projects to be a bounce back season in store for Florida next year as their team will be back to full health. They will also be better rested after a longer summer without play compared to past seasons that saw three straight years of finals appearances. They will be a team to watch closely in the brutal Atlantic division as the Tkachuk brothers reunite and look to cause havoc on the ice.
All transactions are available via Puck Pedia.
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