The league is already movin’ and shakin’ ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft that’s being held in Nashville tomorrow.
With trades like Hall/Foligno to CHI, Toffoli to NJD, and Dubois to LAK, one can only hope there’s some more wildness ahead of/during the draft.
And if you’re a Florida Panthers fan, you’re curious to see if Zito can bring anyone in under the cap crunch and pending-UFA/RFA situations they are in.
As it stands, the Cats’ picks are as follows:
- Round 2 (63rd overall) - Round 4 (127th overall) - Round 5 (159th overall) - Round 6 (191st overall) - Round 7 (198th overall)
The elephant in the room is that there is no Round 1 pick this year or for the next couple…There was obviously a lot of criticism surrounding Zito swinging for the fences and moving multiple firsts for rentals a season ago. I’m still under the belief that the window is open now and that’s the unfortunate cost of doing business.
With as banged up and thin as they are from a depth perspective, Florida will need to make some real moves to stay competitive — and not rely on catching lightning in a bottle at the end of the regular season. They have no choice.
My gut tells me we’ll see some moves the next couple days. As for the size and impact of the moves, I have no clue. Judging from Zito’s resume thus far, I would guess he’s going to look for more bargain/under-the-radar guys…
What do you want to see happen?
Schedule Released
Per the Panthers’ website:
“The Florida Panthers announced today, in conjunction with the National Hockey League, their schedule for the 2023-24 regular season.
The Panthers open the regular season on the road for a three-game trip that will begin with a matchup against the Minnesota Wild for the Cats' season opener on Thursday, Oct 12. They then will visit the Winnipeg Jets (Oct. 14) and New Jersey Devils (Oct. 16).
Following their road trip, the Panthers will return to South Florida to kick off a four-game homestand against the Toronto Maple Leafs (Oct. 19), Vancouver Canucks (Oct. 21), San Jose Sharks (Oct. 24) and Seattle Kraken (Oct. 28).
The starting point for an exciting season-long celebration of the franchise's 30th anniversary, the Panthers and Maple Leafs will drop the puck for the Home Opener at 7 PM at FLA Live Arena on Oct. 19.
"After the excitement of the 2023 postseason, we can't wait to welcome back fans for the start of the 2023-24 campaign," said President & CEO Matt Caldwell. "The on-ice excitement will pick up right where it left off and our fans have a lot to look forward to with forthcoming announcements regarding upgrades to the fan experience, new technology partners and more."
HOME OPENER
The Panthers will celebrate their 30th Anniversary Season throughout the 2023-24 campaign. The Cats will host the Toronto Maple Leafs for a rematch from the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs in their home opener on Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7 PM. Fans can stay tuned for more information on giveaways, activations and more.
SUNRISE HOCKEY NIGHTS
21 games of the Florida Panthers 2023-24 home schedule will take place on Thursday and Saturday with nine Thursday matchups and 12 Saturday games on the docket. Thursday games will begin at 7 PM and Saturday games are schedule-dependent with most games dropping the puck at 6 PM. The Panthers host one Sunday matinee against the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 12 at 1 PM.
HOLDAYS OF HOCKEY
This year's schedule will feature a home game the night before and the day after Thanksgiving at FLA Live Arena when the Panthers host the Boston Bruins on Nov. 22 and the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 24.
Around the winter holidays, the Panthers will face their recent Stanley Cup Final opponent, the Vegas Golden Knights, on Dec. 23 at 3 PM and host two games prior to closing the book on the 2023 calendar year: Dec. 29 against the New York Rangers and Dec. 30 against the Montreal Canadiens.
CATS HEAD WEST
The Cats will head out west for their longest road stretch from Dec. 10 through Dec. 18 taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets (Dec. 10), Seattle Kraken (Dec. 12), Vancouver Canucks (Dec. 14), Edmonton Oilers (Dec. 16) and Calgary Flames (Dec. 18).
MATINEE MATCHUPS
The Panthers will host four home matinee games at FLA Live Arena this season facing the Chicago Blackhawks (Nov. 12 at 1 PM), Vegas Golden Knights (Dec. 23 at 3 PM), Anaheim Ducks (Jan. 15 at 1 PM) and Detroit Red Wings (March 30 at 12:30 PM).…
Stoked with this being the 30th Anniversary Season because I’m hoping for a lot of nostalgia!
It all begins again soon!
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 27, 2023
Details 🗓ï¸â¬‡ï¸
See you at the draft…Go Panthers!