The Florida Panthers followed up their second Stanley Cup win with a remarkable offseason. Most analysts and observers didn’t believe the Panthers could re-sign their three big-name free agents.
Yet, the club did.
Now, the Cats are an even deeper team than they were in 2024-25. Their depth chart has virtually no flaws, as just about every possible angle has been accounted for.
So, let’s take a closer look at the Florida Panthers' depth chart after the opening week of NHL free agency.
Florida Panthers depth chart after first week of NHL free agency
Forwards
The forward group is stacked. Sasha Barkov, the best center in the NHL at the moment, leads the pack. Barkov's wingers can come in the form of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Evan Rodrigues, or Carter Verhaeghe. Any of these players can move up to the top line and play with Barkov, and fans have seen Paul Maurice flop them around at times.
The center position is by far the deepest on the roster. Below Barkov is Sam Bennett, who's anchored the second line for several years at this point. He's one of the best forwards in the game who can hit and be on the ice for power-play chances.
The third line is centered by Anton Lundell. His wingers will be Brad Marchand and Eetu Luostarinen. Heading into next season, the Panthers have what will be the best third line in the NHL. On top of everything, Evan Rodrigues is worth two or three separate players given his all-around skill set, and can come in at any time.
However, if Florida has any question marks, they would be about the fourth line. Looking at the Cats’ current depth chart and who's slated to be there, Tomas Nosek, A.J. Greer, Jonah Gadjovich, and Jesper Boqvist figure to spend time on the checking line. They don’t offer much in the way of offense, but they do play a hard-nosed, responsible game.
If there’s any area in the forward group where the Panthers could use an upgrade offensively, it’s the fourth line. But given the team’s cap situation, the checking line will remain as it is. Overall, there is no other forward group deeper than the Florida Panthers. No other team can consistently roll out four solid lines, especially in the postseason.
Also, do not rule out Mackie Samoskevich coming into the lineup full-time. However, that will only happen if Bill Zito moves a player to free up some cap space. Samoskevich is still a restricted free agent but can't receive an offer sheet from another team due to him not being a third-year pro yet. It's still a possibility fans will see him regularly, though.
Defense
The Panthers’ depth chart currently shows seven blueliners under contract for next season. Leading the group are Seth Jones and Aaron Ekblad. It must be said that Jones was a pleasant surprise for the Panthers. It wasn’t clear what Florida was going to get when they acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks. Now, it’s evident the Cats got the number-one defenseman Jones had become while with Columbus.
Ekblad is a close to a sure thing as anyone can get, while Gustav Forsling is right behind him. What Ekblad gives to offensive production is what Forsling gives to the other end of the ice. The two most underrated players on the Panthers’ blue line are Niko Mikkola and Dmitry Kulikov. They play a quiet, understated game that often goes unnoticed. But it’s perfectly evident on the stat sheet, as they help in playing shutdown defense.
Lastly, Uvis Balinskis and free-agent signing Jeff Petry likely compete for the sixth defenseman role. Both players are on cheap contracts and provide depth at a reasonable cap hit.While the Panthers could use another NHL-level defenseman for depth purposes, the team’s cap constraints won’t allow it. But if injuries become an issue, the Panthers have players in the pipeline who could come up and help.
Goaltending
Speaking of sure things, Sergei Bobrovsky is exactly that. Bobrovsky carried the load this past playoff run, playing every minute of every game. Along the way, he made many clutch saves that allowed the Panthers to repeat as champions.
However, Bobrovsky is entering the final year of his current contract. So, he’ll need a new deal sooner rather than later. At 36, there’s no telling how much longer Bobrovsky can handle such an insane workload.
Of course, Bobrovsky has shown no signs of slowing down. But one has to wonder at what point Father Time will catch up to him. After re-signing Marchand, Bennet, and Ekblad this offseason, the Panthers will need to figure out an extension for Bobrovsky promptly.
The Panthers added Daniil Tarasov to back up Bobrovsky after Vitek Vanecek departed via free agency. Behind Tarasov is third-string goalie Brandon Bussi, who will be with the Charlotte Checkers to start the season. All in all, the Panthers look set in goal for this upcoming season. But the biggest question mark at this point will be getting Bobrovsky inked to an extension.
Projected 2025-26 Lineup
- Carter Verhaeghe- Aleksander Barkov- Sam Reinhart
- Evan Rodrigues- Sam Bennett- Matthew Tkachuk
- Eetu Luostarinen- Anton Lundell- Brad Marchand
- A.J. Greer- Tomas Nosek- Jonah Gadjovich
- Gustav Forsling- Aaron Ekblad
- Niko Mikkola- Seth Jones
- Dmitry Kulikov- Jeff Petry
- Sergei Bobrovsky
- Daniil Tarasov
- Forward Extras: Mackie Samoskevich, Jesper Boqvist
- Defense Extra: Uvis Balinskis
- Goalie Extra: Brandon Bussi