Florida Panthers All-Time Starting Roster
Florida Panthers fans have been fortunate enough to see some elite talent play in Sunrise over the years. Considering all the notable players throughout the organization’s 26-year history, who would make up the team’s all-time starting roster?
Well, we’re at the slow point of the offseason, and there aren’t many rumors swirling around the hockey world. With little to talk about in terms of breaking news and speculation, it’s the perfect time to look at some of the greatest pros to ever play in the sunshine state.
Florida has seen stars like Joe Nieuwendyk, Jaromir Jagr, and Dino Ciccarelli throw on the feline sweater; however, none of them played enough to be remembered as Panthers.
Every team has a long list of fan favorites and franchise heroes. For this article, I will be analyzing Panthers players, both past and present, based on the impact they had on the franchise as well as their tenure with the team.
There is no doubt that some people will disagree with the players I have chosen for one reason or another, and that’s entirely fair. Just make sure to make your voice heard in the comment section or on Twitter!
So, without further ado, let’s look at the all-time starting roster comprised for the Florida Panthers.
LW, Jonathan Huberdeau, (2012-Present)
This choice shouldn’t come as a surprise.
The Panthers have a rather thin history of skilled left-wingers, and Huberdeau is now third place all-time in franchise points.
It’s pretty wild to think he’s already been a Cat for seven seasons and he continues to impress.
After being drafted third overall back in 2011, Huberdeau joined the team for the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. He put up 31 points in 48 games en route to becoming the first-ever Panther to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year.
To add to his impressive resume in Sunrise, just last year he tied the legendary Pavel Bure for the third-most points in a single Panthers season with 92.
The most exciting thing about Huberdeau is that he’s still just 26-years-old and has a whole lot left to give.
He’s locked in for another four years at just $5.9M which is, in my eyes, one of the best contracts in the league.
His current deal didn’t come into play when considering his position on this list. It’s just such a sweet little win for the team that I just had to mention it.
It will surely be interesting to see how he performs next year with the Panthers signing some solid pieces. There will also be some potential young guns stepping up to the plate that could take a ton of pressure off of Huberdeau and Co.
It would serve the Panthers’ top line well if the likes of Brett Connolly, Henrik Borgstrom, and Owen Tippett can take on some of the offensive responsibilities.
A little room to breathe would make Huberdeau’s life much more comfortable.
C, Aleksander Barkov, (2013-Present)
Have I mentioned what an exciting time it is to be a Panthers fan?
I know recency bias tends to creep its way into these sorts of rankings, but, let’s look at the facts.
This past season, Barkov served as the youngest captain in Panthers history and undoubtedly exceeded all expectations.
He set a new franchise high with 96 points, surpassing Pavel Bure’s 19-year-old record of 94 points. Barkov was the offensive driving force that Florida has desperately needed for years.
When he was drafted, it seemed as though a large chunk of the fanbase seemed rather upset with the pick.
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Taken second overall in 2013, some felt it was a bit of a reach. There were still some highly touted players on the board such as Seth Jones and Jonathan Drouin, which made Barkov come across as a bit of an unknown gamble.
But boy, did that pick ever pay off. Barky is now just 74 points away from passing Olli Jokinen in becoming the highest-scoring player in the team’s 26-year history, and he’s only 23-years-old.
The Panthers’ scouting staff deserves a big round of applause for getting their guy.
Just this offseason, he won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, which is given to the player who “exhibits the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.”
I should also point out that he is also signed to an incredibly team-friendly deal at $5.9M per year for another three seasons.
Panthers GM Dale Tallon seems like an absolute genius considering Barkov and Huberdeau’s contracts, and I’m sure Cats fans are thankful.
It’s safe to say that Barkov is a lock for this list.
RW, Pavel Bure, (1998-2002)
They don’t call him the “Russian Rocket” for nothing.
Pavel Bure was arguably one of the most entertaining players in NHL history. His speed and skill was something straight out of a Jason Statham movie.
Bure remains first place of all-time for Panthers points-per-game totals, averaging an impressive 1.126 during his time in Florida.
As mentioned previously, he held the record for the most offensively productive year for nearly 20 years until Barkov came along and claimed that accolade.
However, he still holds the record for most goals in a season with 59 in 2000-01. I should add that he also scored 58 the year prior and that he won the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal scorer both years.
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To this day, he remains the only Panther to be awarded that honor. The guy was a goal-scoring machine.
Aside from being an all-out offensive weapon, Bure also shared the captaincy with defenseman Paul Laus for the 2001-02 season.
Bure was a leader on the ice and an exceptional hockey player, which earned him the respect of opponents and, more importantly, his teammates.
During his fourth year as a member of the organization, he was traded to the New York Rangers where he went on to play one last full season in 2002-03.
Unfortunately, Bure’s career was cut short at the age of just 32 due to chronic knee injuries.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.
Bure sits in eleventh place for most points (779) ever recorded by a Russian-born player and has the third-best points-per-game ratio (1.11) behind Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin.
I’m sure the Cats would love to find the reincarnation of Mr. Bure, but players like that don’t grow on trees.
LD, Ed Jovanovski, (1995-1999, 2011-2014)
This position was probably the most difficult pick to make.
Guys like Brian Campbell and Jay Bouwmeester could have occupied this spot, but I chose to pencil in “Jovo Cop.”
The main reason Jovo edges out the other two is because of his role with the team and his physical presence.
Seeing as the offensive Robert Svehla is my choice as the Panthers’ all-time right-handed defenseman, the team would need a sturdy, intimidating guy with shutdown abilities to play alongside him.
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Jovanovski was the first-ever first overall draft pick in Panthers history, and he also served as the team’s captain for his final two years in the league.
In his first year back with the team (2011-2012), the Panthers returned to the postseason for the first time in 12 years.
During his career in Florida, he amassed 619 penalty minutes, which is the second most among all-time Panthers defensemen despite being eighth in games played (362 GP).
I’m sure there were lots of players out there who were relieved when Jovo retired. He was a terrifying yet talented defenseman, and the Panthers were lucky to have him.
RD, Robert Svehla, (1994-2002)
Robert Svehla might be the most underrated Panther of all-time.
The 6-foot-1 Slovak played eight of his nine NHL seasons in South Florida, and he holds the record for most points and games played by a defenseman in franchise history (290 points in 573 games played).
Svehla held the record for most career goals by a defenseman in the team’s history before being surpassed by current Panthers stud Aaron Ekblad this past season.
He recorded five 40+ point campaigns in just eight seasons including a 57-point year.
His points-per-game total of 0.511 is 100th best in NHL history for blueliners and has him above the likes of Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Ryan Suter, and Niklas Kronwall.
While I know that offensive production isn’t everything when analyzing a defenseman, Svehla’s output from the back-end was too impressive to ignore.
For fans of the game, it’s a shame he retired at the age of 34.
Svehla decided it was time to hang up his skates and spend more time with his family in Slovakia after playing his final season with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2003.
For more information regarding his retirement, check out this article posted by The Globe and Mail.
G, Roberto Luongo, (2000-2006, 2013-2019)
Was there ever any doubt?
Roberto Luongo has been the heart and soul of Florida Panthers hockey for years. His jersey should and likely will be retired soon making him the first player in the team’s history to earn such an honor.
Bobby Lu is the franchise leader in games played (572 GP), wins (230 W), shutouts (38 SO), and saves (16,086 SVS).
Yes, the Panthers have been blessed with a long history of elite goaltenders, guys like John Vanbiesbrouck, Tomas Vokoun, and, for a brief time, Ed Belfour.
However, none come close to Luongo’s pedigree.
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It’s a shame the Panthers never achieved playoff success during Luongo’s tenancy in South Florida, but you can’t blame Lu.
He donned the Panthers sweater for a combined ten full seasons (excluding 2013-14 in which he only played 14 games) and exemplified class and dedication every step of the way.
There seems to be somewhat of a debate amongst Rat Trick readers as to whether or not Luongo’s number should be retired.
For those interested, check out my article: “Florida Panthers Need to Retire Roberto Luongo’s Jersey.”
For a polarizing opinion, check out Carmelo Mastrangelo’s piece: “Reviewing Roberto Luongo’s Jersey Retirement.”
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When it’s all said and done, the Panthers have a bright future ahead of them with their current roster. Who knows, maybe a few years from now Florida’s all-time starting roster will consist entirely of current players.