State Your Case: Can Panthers win Cup for 3rd straight season?

To three-peat or not to three-peat, that is the question.

One of the biggest storylines coming into the 2025-26 NHL season will be the Florida Panthers going for a third straight Stanley Cup title.

They are trying to become the first team to do it since the New York Islanders won four straight from 1980-83. In fact, it’s only been done five times, with the Montreal Canadiens (1956-60; 1976-79) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (1947-49; 1962-64) each doing it twice.

Other teams have come close, most recently the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the Cup in 2020 and 2021 but lost in the 2022 Cup Final.

For Florida to do it, it would have to reach a fourth straight Cup Final, which could be tough with long-term injuries to franchise stalwarts Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk.

The chance for the three-peat is there, but will they do it?

With Florida opening its season against the Chicago Blackhawks at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday (5 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN1, TVAS) NHL.com posed the three-peat question to staff writers Tom Gulitti and Mike G. Morreale in this edition of State Your Case.

There’s no question the Panthers’ path to winning the Cup for the third straight season became a lot harder when center Aleksander Barkov injured his right knee, with forward Matthew Tkachuk already out at least until December following offseason surgery to repair a turn adductor muscle. But the Panthers have a knack for defying their doubters and unmatched depth to get through this challenge. Even without Barkov, they have Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell as their top two centers. Bennett is the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner, voted as most valuable player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Lundell has been relegated to a third-line role with Florida but has demonstrated an ability in the past to step up when there are injuries. Now, his line with Eetu Luostarinen and Brad Marchand, which was a difference-maker last season, will have an opportunity to make an even bigger impact. The Panthers need to focus now only on qualifying for the playoffs, which they have enough talent to do. Tkachuk will be back long before the postseason begins and Barkov might make it back during the playoffs to push them over the top again. -- Gulitti

No doubt this team has a lot of depth, as Tom mentioned, but I'm going to reiterate one important point for the purpose of this debate: There's no replacing Barkov, Florida's stoic captain. The 30-year-old set the pace in everything the Panthers did the past two Stanley Cup-winning seasons. Everything he does is about winning the hockey game and figuring out ways to win his own shift. He's a two-way bull along the boards, in front of the net and in the face-off circle and builds everyone up when the odds are unfavorable. When Florida needed a spectacular play with the game on the line, No. 16 usually delivered. Sure, there are some fantastic complementary pieces, including former Boston Bruins captain Marchand and veteran goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, but I just believe the Panthers are going to miss the mojo Barkov brings in the big moments this season. Even if he is healthy enough to rejoin the team during the playoffs, it remains to be seen how effective he'll be after missing 7-9 months. -- Morreale

I agree with Mike that it will be a challenge for Barkov to return to top form after such a long layoff and serious injury. I think Florida will use Barkov’s injury as a rallying point that will motivate them to advance as far as they need to give him that chance to play in the playoffs. And Barkov at less than 100 percent can still help with his defensive ability and high hockey IQ to get around whatever physical limitations he might have, assuming he’s healthy enough to play. Plus, the Panthers might be able to utilize the salary cap space created by his absence during the regular season to add a player to help them in the playoffs (but still dress a roster that fits under the cap during the postseason, as required by the new rule implemented this season). Regardless, Florida has a deep lineup that can spread out the workload among their forwards during their captain’s absence. They still have one of the best defense corps in the NHL with Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, Seth Jones and Niko Mikkola in their top four and, as Mike noted, perhaps the best big-game goalie in the NHL in Bobrovsky. All of that will help during what they expect to be another long playoff run. -- Gulitti

Tom's point about addressing the roster during the regular season is a good one, because we all know general manager Bill Zito has done a masterful job since taking over. Though I do have the Panthers reaching the final this season, I didn't pick them to win a third straight championship. Sure, the injuries to Barkov and Tkachuk are one thing, but let’s get real for a moment: Winning three straight is just hard to do. Over the past four decades, five teams won back-to-back titles but failed to win a third straight. Florida is the team circled on the calendar of every opponent, and that also will take its toll come April. Let's not forget, this team has played a lot of hockey the past three seasons. The Panthers have given South Florida many reasons to celebrate the past two seasons, but I'm afraid the Stanley Cup won't be spending a night at the Elbo Room beach bar this June. -- Morreale