The 2025-26 NHL regular season begins on Oct. 7. Leading up to the season opener, NHL.com is identifying six things to watch for each team. Today, the Florida Panthers.
Last season: 47-31-4; third in Atlantic Division, won Stanley Cup
Coach: Paul Maurice (fourth season)
Biggest challenge
Injuries to captain Aleksander Barkov, who is expected to miss the entire regular season after having knee surgery on Friday, and Matthew Tkachuk, who general manager Bill Zito said had surgery Aug. 22 to repair a torn adductor muscle and will be out until at least December, leaves the Panthers without two of their top forwards and invaluable team leaders. It will be impossible to replace them, but Florida will need to find a way to get by and fend off a potential Stanley Cup hangover and fatigue in its bid to become the first team to win the Stanley Cup in three consecutive seasons since the New York Islanders won four straight championships from 1980-83. The Panthers set an NHL record for a three-season span by playing 314 games (regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs) to make three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances, including defeating the Edmonton Oilers in the Final the past two seasons.
How they make playoffs
Even with Tkachuk and forward Tomas Nosek (lower body) unavailable to start the season, qualifying for the playoffs shouldn’t be an issue after Florida re-signed forwards Sam Bennett (eight-year, $64 million contract; $8 million average annual value) and Brad Marchand (six-year, $31.5 million contract; $5.25 million AAV) and defenseman Aaron Ekblad (eight-year, $48.8 million contract; $6.1 million AAV) to keep most of its championship lineup intact. The Panthers learned how to pace themselves last season and that they didn't need to rely on home-ice advantage in the playoffs; they didn’t have it in any of their four series last season. Getting to the postseason healthy and with enough energy to sustain another long run will be the objective.
