Florida Panthers Offseason Outlook: What’s Next in 2026-27?
Not since the mighty Montreal Canadiens of the late 1960s has the NHL seen a fall from grace as epic as the dive that the Florida Panthers took this season. Montreal won the Stanley Cup in 1967-68 and 1968=69 after losing in the final in 1966-67. Then the Canadiens missed the playoffs in 1969-70.
After losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2022-23 Stanley Cup final, the Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers in the next two Cup final series. Then this season, riddled by injuries, Florida plummeted to seventh in the Atlantic Division, 14th overall in the Eastern Conference, and right out of the postseason picture.
What the fans of the Florida Panthers can look forward to and exploring what's next:
Florida finished the season with 13 regulars on the injured list, including core players like forwards Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand, and Matthew Tkachuk, and defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones. However, if the team is issued a clean bill of health by the fall, there's no reason to think that the Panthers can't rise again.
One thing to keep in mind in this Panthers/Canadiens comparison. In 1970-71, Montreal rebounded to win the Stanley Cup again.
Florida Panthers 2025-2026 Season at a Glance
General Manager: Bill Zito
Head Coach: Paul Maurice
Final Standings: [7th in Atlantic Division / 84 points]
Post-Season Result: Missed Playoffs
Projected Cap Space: $15,382,500
Draft Capital: Two 2nd Round Picks, No 3rd Round Pick
The Foundation: Florida Panthers Core & Breakout Players
Injuries bit the Panthers hard, and it started even before the season began. Captain Barkov suffered a season-ending knee injury in preseason. Tkachuk began the season on IRL. Florida had nearly $14 million in cap space buried on LTIR by the end of the season.
The Core That Works
The Panthers built a team to compete for the long haul. Seven forwards - Barkov, Tkachuk, Marchand, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, and Anton Lundell - are signed through the 2029-30 season. On defense, Ekblad, Jones, Gustav Forsling, and Nikko Mikkola are also inked to pacts that carry through the 2029-30 campaign.
The Breakout Stars
Injuries create opportunity, and right-winger Mackie Samoskevitch was someone who took advantage of opportunity knocking. In his second full NHL season, he registered a career-high 32 points. In a season-ending 8-1 win over Detroit, the future of the Panthers was on full display. Fifteen regulars missed that game through injury, including the club's top-six defensemen. In their absence, defenseman Mike Benning scored his first two NHL goals and Marek Alscher recorded his first multi-point game as an NHLer. Wilmer Skoog, Mikulas Hovorka, and Ludvig Jansson all collected assists for their first NHL points.
The Balance Sheet: Salary Cap & Contract Efficiencies
Best Value Contracts
Not only are seven forwards and four defensemen signed for the next four seasons, with the rapidly rising salary cap, but most are also locked in on what are becoming very team-friendly contracts. Seven of the 11 will earn $8 million or less next season.
Cap Flexibility for Free Agency
The disadvantage to having so many players signed long-term is that it doesn't leave much wiggle room to explore the market. Florida is unlikely to be very active in the summer UFA picture, other than to settle the team's uncertain goaltending situation.
Roster Turnover: Pending Free Agents & Glaring Holes
Internal Decisions (UFAs & RFAs)
Sergei Bobrovsky backstopped the Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. But he's a UFA and will be 38 years old by the start of next season. The Panthers will want him back, but on a short-term deal. RFA defenseman Donovan Sebrango was a useful depth player after being picked up on waivers from the Ottawa Senators. It's unlikely the Panthers will spend to keep UFA depth forwards AJ Greer and Tomas Nosek.
The Biggest Roster Gaps
Goaltending is in crisis in Florida. Not only is Bobrovsky a UFA, but backup Daniil Tarasov is also a UFA. Journeyman Louis Domingue, the third netminder on the depth chart, is also a UFA.
The Pipeline: Top Florida Panthers Prospects Ready to Jump
The never-ending trek to sick bay by the Panthers this year gave plenty of opportunity for the team to eyeball their future. These are a few of the top prospects who got the chance to apprentice this season.
Jack Devine. The right-winger saw action in six games for the Panthers this season but was held pointless. He scored 18 goals for AHL Charlotte. With a bottomless motor and a desire to drive the net, Devine fits the Florida mold.
Sandis Vilmanis. A Latvian Olympian, Vilmanis, can play either wing. He's strong in traffic and has a powerful enough shot to score from distance. Vilmanis scored 18 goals for Charlotte and counted 3-2-5 totals in 18 games with the Panthers.
Gracyn Sawchyn. An upper-body injury likely prevented Sawchyn from getting a shot with the Panthers this season. A waterbug type at 5-11 and 160 pounds, he'll need to beef up to make it as an NHLer.
The Biggest Roster Gaps
For the Panthers, in-house moves may prove to be the most vital to a club revival. Keeping Bobrovsky between the pipes is where it all starts. They have to find a way to make that happen. Without world-class goaltending, there's no path back to greatness for this team. And Florida doesn't have the cap space to pursue UFAs this summer, unless they shed contracts via trade.
The Verdict: How Close Are the Florida Panthers Really?
The Proximity Scale
If they continue to follow the trend of those late 1960s, early 1970s Montreal Canadiens clubs, the Panthers will rebound and come right back to situate themselves among the NHL elite. And with the deep roster they possess, if Florida gets healthy and settles its goaltending issue, there's no reason to think that won't happen.
Best Case vs. Worst Case Scenario
Best Case: Key injured players like Barkov and Tkachuk return to form, Bobrovsky re-signs with the club, and the Panthers regain their status as Stanley Cup contenders.
Worst Case: Roster and salary cap issues make it difficult for the Panthers to find their footing, Bobrovsky leaves for another team, and the Panthers find that it's difficult to re-establish a foothold in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division.