Key arrivals: Brady Tkachuk, W; Jacob Markstrom, G; Radko Gudas, D; Akira Schmid, G; Garnet Hathaway, W; Lars Eller, C.
Key departures: Sergei Bobrovsky, G; Mackie Samoskevich, W; Evan Rodrigues, W; A.J. Greer, W
Grade: A
The Panthers got the off-season going with a bang when they acquired Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators for a package built around the ninth-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. That draft pick was only in Florida’s possession by virtue of an injury-plagued campaign that saw the two-time defending champs miss the playoffs while playing the entire season without captain Aleksander Barkov, to say nothing of numerous other high-profile players who missed huge chunks of the campaign.
Now, the Cats add a hungry Brady Tkachuk to a team that features his brother, Matthew, and a host of other decorated vets who are healthy, rested and ready to take another run at the top prize.
Certainly, Florida will have some questions to answer in the crease, where the Panthers are turning to Jacob Markstrom — a Florida draft pick 18 years ago, in 2008 — after the departure of Bobrovsky via free agency.
With Brady Tkachuk in the mix, though, this top-nine forward group is terrifying.