On Oct. 08, the Florida Panthers will raise their Stanley Cup banner and will play against none other than their newfound rivals, the Boston Bruins. But which players can fans expect to see on the ice?
The defending champion immediately faced free agency following their cup celebration — and they lost some key components to their winning roster.
“This week has been the best, crazy, worst, but the ups and downs of this whole week, you can’t really describe” stated defensemen Brandon Montour as he discussed his new signing with the Seattle Kraken media last month. ”But I’m excited to be able to relax for a little bit and get this new journey started.”
The Kraken signed Brandon Montour to a seven-year, $50 million contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $7.14 million. The Kraken expressed interest in Montour’s offensive production as a defenceman and expect him to improve their roster in the upcoming season.
Along with Montour, the Panthers also say good-bye to key players Vladmir Tarasenko, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Kevin Stenlund, back-up goalie Anthony Stolarz and fan-favorite Ryan Lomberg.
Roster changes are common across the NHL and the Florida Panthers don’t seem to be worried heading into the new season, especially as their core remains the same.
Following his game-winning goal in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, Sam Reinhart and the team agreed to an eight-year, $69 million deal with an $8.625 million average annual value (AAV).
Additionally, the Panthers also agreed to a six-year, $30 million contract until the 2029-30 season with center Anton Lundell, locking down two significant players for the years to come.
Aside from locking in their core, the team has also signed players such as AJ Greer, Tomas Nosek and Jesper Boqvist, to fill in the gaps in the fourth-line.
As different changes were made throughout free agency and the off-season, there has been speculation that the Panthers roster has gotten worse. But General Manager Bill Zito has not wavered in the face of adversity.
“It’s not always about the trade but it’s about the result,” expresses Zito in his July 1 press conference. “In trades you are trying to put the puzzle together.”
Zito informs the press that the key to trades is not about finding the best player, but finding the player who is going to be the best fit for the team.
Defenceman Gustav Forsling is a great example of a player Zito sought out, who may not have been known as the best, yet he certainly improved the roster.
With core players like Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Surgeon Bobrovsky,Carter Verhaeghe and more remaining on the current roster, the Panthers will not be an easy team to beat.
As the team gets closer to the 2024-25 NHL season, fans and NHL viewers are excited to see what’s in store for the Panthers future.
