ESPN’s Burning questions for all 32 NHL teams this preseason article had this to say about the Florida Panthers.
It was strange to see the Panthers outside the playoff mix last season — but perhaps it was inevitable they’d slide down the standings following multiple championship runs (and minus captain Aleksander Barkov for the season).
But this isn’t the same team it was in 2025-26. The Panthers broke the internet — again — trading for Brady Tkachuk to enhance a top-six forward group headlined by his brother, Matthew Tkachuk. The bottom half of Florida’s lineup looks different as well, with Mackie Samoskevich, Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist gone in free agency and veterans Lars Eller and Garnet Hathaway added.
Another critical transition for Florida is in the crease now that long-time starter Sergei Bobrovsky signed as a free agent in Toronto and has been replaced by the often-inconsistent Jacob Markstrom (working with a new backup too in Akira Schmid). GM Bill Zito has never shied away from shaking things up. Has he pushed the right buttons here again?
The Florida Panthers, Scripps Sports and ViewLift announced that Panthers Plus, the official streaming home of the 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers, returns for its third season and is available now on the web at PanthersPlus.TV and for download on iOS, Google Play, Apple TV, Roku and Fire TV. Preseason action, including an exclusive Training Camp live show on Sept. 17, will be available on a free trial basis with registration. Fans can navigate to PanthersPlus.TV, create a free account and sign in to start watching. A paid subscription is required beginning with the start of the 2026-27 regular season.
Veteran forward Chris Kreider is now an unrestricted free agent. Kreider cleared unconditional waivers, allowing the Anaheim Ducks to terminate his contract by mutual consent. Sportsnet’s Rory Kaplan lists the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders as five possible destinations for Kreider.
Braden Bowman signed a six-year, $20.4 million contract extension with the Vegas Golden Knights. With still one year remaining on entry-level deal, Bowman’s new contract will take effect next season. The 23-year-old forward made his NHL debut with the Golden Knights last season, recording eight goals and 26 points in 54 games.
Carolina re-signed former Panthers defenseman Mike Reilly to a one-year, two-way deal worth $850K. Reilly played two games with the Cats during the 2023-24 season. The 33-year-old appeared in 42 regular season tilts with the Hurricanes last season and produced a goal and eight assists. He played two games in the Stanely Cup Playoffs and collected two helpers.