Heading into the 2026-27 season, Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling has tallied 193 points in 435 games. With seven more points, he’ll become only the fifth defenseman in franchise history to tally 200 points. The former fifth-round pick, 126th overall, in the 2014 Draft, began his career with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2016. He skated with the Original Six club for three seasons before spending the 2019-20 season in the AHL. He joined the Panthers in January 2021, when they selected him off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes.
Since relocating to Florida, Forsling has become one of the team’s most valuable defenders. In 2023-24, he led the NHL with a plus-56 rating and is plus-161 over the past six seasons. Through nine seasons, he’s averaged eight goals, 24 assists, and 32 points per season, so he’s a lock to collect his 200th point early in the new season. When he does, Forsling will join this list of highest-scoring defensemen in Panthers history.
The highest-scoring defensemen in Panthers history
Jay Bouwmeester (203 points)
Jay Bouwmeester began his NHL career with the Panthers in 2002. He spent six years on Florida’s blueline, collecting 203 points in 471 games. Surprisingly, the 17-year veteran, who won the Stanley Cup in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues, only scored another 221 points in his career. As of 2026, he ranks fourth in assists (150) and points (203) among defensemen, with the third-most goals, with 53.
Keith Yandle (231 points)
Boston-born defenseman Keith Yandle played five seasons with the Panthers from 2016 to 2021, compiling 231 points in 371 games. Moreover, during his time in Florida, he never missed a single game over five seasons. Heading into the new season, Yandle remains one of three defenders with over 200 assists, with 201, giving him a 59-assist buffer over Forsling, the active leader. Meanwhile, with 231 points, he is the third-highest-scoring defenseman in Panthers history.
Robert Svehla (290 points)
Robert Svehla joined the Panthers in their second season, 1994-95, skating with the club for eight seasons. When he departed in a trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2002, he was Florida’s highest-scoring defenseman of all time. As of 2026, Svehla remains only one of two defenders to score over 60 goals and 290 points. Considering that Forsling has six seasons left on his current deal, catching Svehla’s career totals isn’t out of the question.
Aaron Ekblad (406 points and counting)
Aaron Ekblad was the Panthers’ first-ever first overall pick, and 12 years later, he remains a cornerstone to the franchise. Heading into the 2026-27 season, he is the organization’s best-scoring defenseman, the only one with more than 100 goals and 400 points. Moreover, with 804 games, he remains tied with captain Aleksander Barkov for the franchise record. Overall, Ekblad is Florida’s fourth all-time leading scorer and needs only 13 points to tie Olli Jokinen for third all-time. With a career plus-91 rating, he only trails Forsling (plus-161) and Barkov (plus-124) for the team’s best mark.
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