Florida Panthers fantasy projections for 2026-27

As part of NHL.com's 32 in 32 series, the fantasy hockey staff ranks the top five Florida Panthers players for standard leagues and provides skater points and goalie wins projections for the 2026-27 season.

1. Brady Tkachuk, F

NHL.com fantasy rank: 20 

After being limited to 60 games for the Ottawa Senators last season because of injury, Tkachuk has an opportunity after being traded to the Panthers to reach his full potential after already having a high ceiling due to his elite category coverage in years past. Over the past five seasons (dating to 2021-22), the younger Tkachuk is the only player in the NHL with 300 points (338), 1,000 shots on goal (1,509) and 800 hits (1,196). Over that same span, he is one of two players with at least 150 goals (153) and 700 hits; the other is Alex Ovechkin. Tkachuk, who will turn 27 before the start of the regular season, is the highest-ranked Panthers player in NHL.com's fantasy rankings and is worth targeting in the first two rounds of most fantasy drafts, especially those counting shots on goal, hits and/or penalty minutes.

NHL.com point projection: 87

Read more: Fantasy spin behind Panthers' trade for Brady Tkachuk

2. Matthew Tkachuk, F

NHL.com fantasy rank: 24

While injuries have limited him over the past two seasons, Matthew Tkachuk should quickly return to being a top 25 overall player considering he's fully healthy and his team traded for his younger brother this offseason. Matthew led Florida in points per game (1.10; 34 in 31 games) and was tied for second in multigoal games (three) last season despite not making his debut until Jan. 19. The elder Tkachuk brother is a three-time 30-goal scorer and two-time 100-point performer over his 10 NHL seasons, and has scored more than 30 power-play points in each of his past two healthy seasons (36 in 2022-23; 32 in 2023-24). At 28 years old, Matthew is just entering his prime years with the chance to prove he remains an elite NHL player. He is ranked just behind his younger brother and worthy of creating a forward stack with two of your early picks in redraft formats.

NHL.com point projection: 87

3. Sam Reinhart, F

NHL.com fantasy rank: 37

Reinhart was yet another Panthers player who missed time with injuries last season, but he still led them in goals (29 in 64 games), points (61), power-play points (25), and game-winning goals (six), while finishing tied for the team lead in short-handed points (four). Over the past three seasons (dating to 2023-24), Reinhart has a League-leading 13 short-handed goals, is second in the NHL in power-play goals (51; behind Leon Draisaitl, 53) and is tied for fourth in goals per game (0.56; 125 in 225 games). Since being traded to the Panthers from the Buffalo Sabres prior to the 2021-22 season, Reinhart has averaged exactly a point per game (385 in 385 games) and could see a similar level of production in Florida's loaded top-six lineup.

NHL.com point projection: 84

4. Aleksander Barkov, F

NHL.com fantasy rank: 38

Barkov's season-ending knee injury sustained at training camp leading up to 2025-26 was the first of many injuries for the Panthers, who ultimately missed the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons after three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final and back-to-back championships. Florida's captain returned to competitive action at the 2026 IIHF World Championship, finishing the tournament with 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 10 games as Finland won gold. With Barkov healthy, Florida is the only team with four top 30 fantasy forwards in NHL.com's rankings for standard category redraft leagues Barkov's fantasy outlook is bright considering he averaged nearly 80 points over his previous four seasons prior to his knee injury.

NHL.com fantasy point projection: 83

5. Jacob Markstrom, G

NHL.com fantasy rank: 79

After being traded from the New Jersey Devils on June 30, Markstrom is a bounce-back candidate and has sneaky upside given Florida's defensive structure and elite supporting cast in front of him. Markstrom, who is 36 years old, will replace Sergei Bobrovsky as the Panthers starter after going 23-19-1 with a 3.07 goals-against average and a .883 save percentage in 44 games (43 starts) with the Devils last season. Florida tied for the third-fewest shots on goal allowed (27.0) in the NHL over the previous two seasons combined (2023-24 and 2024-25). Even if he finds himself in a timeshare with Akira Schmid (acquired in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights on June 29), Markstrom's ceiling with the Panthers makes him a top 10 option in NHL.com's fantasy goalie rankings.

NHL.com win projection: 30

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Other FLA players on preseason draft lists:

Potential draft bargains: Brad Marchand, F (point projection: 61); Carter Verhaeghe, F (point projection: 55)

Bounce-back candidate: Seth Jones, D (point projection: 52)

Sleeper: Aaron Ekblad, D (point projection: 37) 

Deep sleepers: Akira Schmid, G (win projection: 20); Eetu Luostarinen, F (point projection: 48); Gustav Forsling, D (point projection: 34)

Breakout candidate: Anton Lundell, F (point projection: 54)

Category coverage specialist: Sam Bennett, F (point projection: 64)

Hits specialists: Garnet Hathaway, F; Radko Gudas, D