Besides the release of the 2025-26 Florida Panthers schedule, there’s been no groundbreaking news to come out of South Florida since the start of free agency. Even then, it was pretty quiet as the team completed all their important offseason business before July 1. As media outlets across the continent continue to look for things to write about, Bleacher Report took a stab at grading every team’s offseason, giving the Panthers one of their top marks.
Bleacher Report likes how the Panthers improved their lineup
The biggest move of Florida's offseason, of course, was acquiring former Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk in exchange for three first-round picks. Dealing away the future for this win-now roster is nothing new to management and the fanbase, so bringing in Brady to play with his brother Matthew seems like a no-brainer. According to Elliotte Friedman, one reason Brady became available was his co-hosted podcast with brother Matthew, which reportedly created tension inside the Senators' dressing room and ultimately contributed to Ottawa making its captain available.his
Brady has built a reputation as one of the NHL's most difficult players to play against, and his arrival only strengthens Florida's identity. While he may not score 40 goals every season, his physicality gives the Panthers another punishing presence in the top six. Add Garnet Hathaway and Radko Gudas lower in the lineup, and Florida may be even more intimidating than it was during its recent Stanley Cup runs.
Florida can’t avoid goalie concerns with Jacob Markström
Bleacher Report gave the Panthers top marks because their forwards and defense are among the top cores in the NHL. However, between the pipes, they raised some concerns, wondering if recently reacquired Jacob Markström is up to the task of keeping Florida in games and giving them chances to win by not losing. Last year, with Sergei Bobrovsky backstopping a different Panthers team because of all the injuries, he produced career lows in several categories. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, Markström put up similar numbers, so hopefully he has a bounce-back campaign to silence the critics.
At 36 and with no deep Stanley Cup playoff runs on his resume, Markström was a questionable choice to bring back into the fold. But it appears that the team’s goalie coaches and scouting department see an opportunity to work with Sweden’s second-all-time wins leader and revamp the backside of his career. The pressure he’ll be under to deliver in the regular season and playoffs will be high, and considering no Swedish goalie has ever won the Stanley Cup, this next chapter in Florida could define his legacy.
Add us as a preferred source on Google