Now that the NHL has released the 2026-27 schedule, there are endless topics to discuss, including the upcoming fantasy hockey season. Recently, they ranked their Top 250 fantasy players, which featured 10 names from the Florida Panthers.
As expected, the list begins with some of the game’s very best: Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov, and Macklin Celebrini. After that, it’s a toss-up on who deserves to be where, and no one will ever be pleased with the top 10 names, since there’s an argument for who belongs in there or not.
Meanwhile, the first Panthers player to crack the list is newcomer Brady Tkachuk, who had 22 goals and 59 points in just 60 games last season with the Ottawa Senators. Although he won’t be the driving force behind Florida’s offensive attack in 2026-27, he will find more than one way to contribute, making him an intriguing fantasy option.
He’s joined in the Top 25 with his brother Matthew, who is looking for a bounce-back and healthy campaign after playing only 31 games. But he tallied 13 goals and 34 points to produce a 1.09 points-per-game average, tops on the team. However, it is buyer beware with the oldest Tkachuk brother, who has played just 84 games in the past two seasons.
Falling within the Top 50 are Sam Reinhart (No. 37) and returning captain Aleksander Barkov (No. 38). As another player who missed time due to injury, Reinhart played 64 games and still potted 29 goals, 32 assists, and 61 points to lead the Panthers in three categories. Last year was the first time in four years he failed to score at least 30 goals.
Regarding Barkov, there’s an argument to be made that he could be ranked too low. He sat out the entirety of the 2025-26 season with a knee injury, but returned in the spring to lead Finland to a World Championship, looking like he didn’t miss a beat.
The only other Florida player to crack the Top 100 is recently re-acquired netminder Jacob Markström, who came home to the team that drafted him in 2008. Now at 36, he’s out to prove he can help a contending team win a Stanley Cup, coming off a subpar season with the New Jersey Devils, compiling a 23-19-1 record with a 3.07 GAA and .883 SV%.
Three players found a spot between 100-150, including Sam Bennett (No. 101), Brad Marchand (No. 130), and Carter Verharghe (No. 143). Only Bennett and Verharghe managed to stay healthy enough to play almost every game of the season, with each scoring more than 25 goals. Meanwhile, Marchand, in his first full campaign with the Panthers, battled all year long, but scored 27 goals and 54 points in 52 games.
After these eight players, only two other Florida skaters cracked the list, including Seth Jones (No. 167) and young star Anton Lundell (No. 211). Jones is locked in until the end of the decade and is one of the team’s top four defensemen. With seven goals and 25 helpers, Jones was the team’s highest-scoring defender. At just 24, Lundell was Florida’s fifth-leading scorer with 44 points and came close to hitting 20 goals for the third time in his young career.
In the end, under the “others to consider” column, the writers added goalie Akira Schmid. He just came off a career year with the Vegas Golden Knights and could find himself playing more than 30 games to keep Markström fresh. Although he’s not a No. 1 goalie, Schmid behind a lethal Panthers attack will be an intriguing option to keep on a fantasy bench.
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