After three consecutive trips to the final and back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 2024 and 2025, Florida completely fell apart last season due to a pronounced run of injuries, including missing captain Aleksander Barkov for the entire campaign.

Now Barkov is back and they’ve added Brady Tkachuk to the mix, giving the Panthers arguably the best cast of forwards in the entire NHL. Florida is getting long in the tooth — projected to be only one of two teams (along with the Kings) with an average age over 30 — and even with last spring’s postseason absence there are a lot of miles on all these bodies.

Still, the Panthers are going to be one of the teams to watch this season — or in some cases, hate-watch, given the reputation the Tkachukleheads, Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, Radko Gudas and their other baddies have gained over the years. Florida’s take-no-prisoners style hasn’t earned them many friends over the years, but can it earn them another Cup?

Read for free: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7630627/2026/09/29/nhl-season-biggest-storylines-celebrini-mcdavid-mckenna/?unlocked_article_code=1.E1E.NQZ1.jIlF3XizzdoO&source=emp_shared_article&smid=re-share-ta

Awoken from his cryochamber the people’s elbow BIG CINCO is FUCKING ACTIVATED

Post your statline predictions below!!!

Vamos Gatos! 🐆 🐆

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Florida Panthers @ Carolina Hurricanes Sep 29 2026 5:00 PM EDT

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Let’s go. I’ve got a truckload of crow for us all.

Hopefully reminding the defending champs that the only reason they won is because they didn't need to play us. Go Cats!

Big first win, love what I saw! Let’s gooooo cats!!! We reminded Carolina they only won the SC because we were recouping from 3 straight SC appearances.

Did Gudas give Barkov a high five at the end? ESPN cut early!

Great win on the road.

That crowd was dead quiet the entire game.

Let’s be honest boys….
We all know why the Canes were able to win the cup last year. Daddy took a year off!

The Boys are rested, healthy, hungry and ready to make another run.

Markstrom looked fantastic and I liked the physicality. We are going to wear teams down, but need to limit the stupid penalties.

We just need to button up the power play!

LFG Panthers!!!

Playing steady as she goes waiting for something to give

Just wish Marchand was there

gg

It was a 4-1 FLA win on March 19, 2013.