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Panther-by-Panther Stanley Cup Appreciation: Forwards

Jun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; The Florida Panthers pose with the cup for a team photo after winning game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Winning the Stanley Cup is the ultimate team achievement. Hockey naturally requires a
team mentality. The best players in the world only play about 40 percent of each game.
The guys on the bottom pairings and lines might just get single digit shifts. To reach the
top of the mountain, everyone contributes. They must in order to survive the gauntlet
that is the NHL playoffs.

32 men suited up for the Florida Panthers this season. 23 played at least one game in
the postseason. This is an appreciation for each one of those 23 players and a couple
others that had significant contributions on the path to glory.

Today, we’ll focus on the forwards.

Aleksander Barkov: The captain. The standard. The best two-way hockey player on
the planet. Barkov tailored his game to better fit Paul Maurice’s system. If the season
hinged on winning one puck battle, but you don’t know where on the ice it will be, you
are picking Barkov to be out there. He’s complete.

Sam Bennett: If Bill Zito and Paul Maurice could build the perfect hockey player for
their vision, Sam Bennett might still be a better fit. He plays the game right on the edge
and pays the price to do what is needed. Bennett played almost the entire playoffs injured and was still an impact player. Do not discount what this man did and does for the Florida Panthers.

Nick Cousins: At the top of the NHL’s most wanted list for portions of the regular
season, Cousins had a difficult time cracking the lineup during the playoffs. But, he
was a big part of last year’s run and Florida’s division championship. Another guy that
plays right on the edge and often goes flying over it, Cousins represented the Panthers
chippy mentality. Players like him are comfortable being the villain. Before Zito’s time,
the Panthers had too many false heroes.

Jonah Gadjovich: He didn’t play a second during the postseason, but Gadjovich is exactly
the type of player that every locker room needs. A pugilist on the ice, with a decently
rounded out game, Gadjovich just added to the layers of toughness that fill out the
roster. He did his job and earned his name on the Cup.

William Lockwood: Filling in admirably for 26 games, Lockwood brought speed and
work rate to the lineup when the Panthers were light on forwards. He didn’t do much
offensively, but Maurice’s only ask of him was to be responsible on the defensive side of
the puck and he performed well in a depth role. Players like Lockwood are important for
that very reason.

Ryan Lomberg: He’s got to be one of the most annoying players to go up against in the
NHL. Lomberg’s tenure in Sunrise mirrored the Panthers rise to prominence. In year one with the Cats, Lomberg cleared waivers at one point, but as Florida became a more
prevalent postseason contender, he played a larger role. His ability to galvanize the
team and provide a spark when energy was lacking on the ice was critical to the
success and maturation of this franchise. He deserved to be on the bench in Game 7 against the Oilers, and his words became truth — this team is together forever now.

Steven Lorentz: It took a long time, but Lorentz finally worked his way into the Panthers
lineup and delivered some big moments in the postseason. He earned his name on the
Stanley Cup. From all accounts, his attitude and approach while being scratched for most of the
regular season was positive and team-oriented. Patience pays and Lorentz paid his
dues.

Anton Lundell: He’s only 22, but Lundell played like a grizzled veteran for large chunks
of the postseason. He shook off a lackluster regular season, found his game at the end
of the year, and carried that confidence into the playoffs with big moments and goals.
With six more years on the horizon and a Cup under his belt, the sky is the limit for what
Lundell looks like by the end of his extension.

Eetu Luostarinen: A warrior. An agitator. A man that pays the price. Luostarinen’s
value was on full display after going through the Finals in back-to-back years. He
lengthened the lineup and is like a Finn Army Knife that can play almost any role on any
line. From game one to game 106, Luostarinen’s effort, intensity, and focus was never in
question.

Kyle Okposo: A grizzled veteran, Okposo emptied his tank for the Panthers and
assumed a role that he hasn’t played for much of his career at all. He humbly accepted
fourth line minutes or healthy scratches just to be ready when Maurice tapped him on
the shoulder. And ready he was. Okposo played in 17 playoff games and was noticeably
gritty and physical. He had several good chances and shifts that helped carry
momentum in the Final. A fantastic addition to the room, Okposo’s leadership and
desire were minor, but important ingredients for the championship run.

Sam Reinhart: A season for the ages. He scored the first and last goal of the regular
season and the first and last goal of the playoffs for the Panthers. He got his long-term
deal and Reinhart is going to end up being one of the greats for this organization. Like
many other Panthers that contributed to Florida’s build-up and championship, Reinhart
has improved his overall game since leaving Buffalo where he was already hinting at
another level in his game. In addition to the production, Reinhart plays responsibly and
that compliments nearly any player on his line. He seems destined for a career in front
office management or coaching after his playing career is over — which very well could
be as a Florida Panther.

Evan Rodrigues: There aren’t many players that run as bright white hot and as dark
blue cold as Rodrigues. He gets his points in bunches and he timed his streak
perfectly with the Cup Final. Rodrigues added a versatility in the lineup that Maurice did
not have in 2022-23. It took nearly three quarters of the season, but Rodrigues finally
started to click with the physicality and positioning of the system towards the end of the
year. He was steady in the playoffs and committed to all of the little plays that need to
be made when the ice gets smaller.

Kevin Stenlund: One year to become a legend. Stenlund had many viking games for
the Panthers this season, where he put his body and health on the line. He anchored the
fourth line — a role and significance that did not go unnoticed by fans. There were so
many shifts for Stenlund’s line where the fourth unit dominated the opposing team and
that stretched into the playoffs. A career-high in goals and his penalty-killing prowess
earned him a nice contract in Utah, but the Panthers will forever be grateful for the
commitment he showed and the stabilizing presence he represented in the bottom six.

Vladimir Tarasenko: The perfect deadline rental. It took Zito a few tries to get it exactly
right at the deadline, but adding Tarasenko was huge. His Cup experience and his skill
was critical in pushing the Panthers beyond the success of last season and possibly through the adversity the Cats faced in the Final. While he never really found a home in the top six or caught lightning offensively, Vlad scored some big goals in the playoffs and helped lengthen the Panthers’ lineup.

Matthew Tkachuk: For as loud as Tkachuk was all last year and through the playoffs,
he seemed much quieter in comparison this year. Maybe that was focus. Maybe it was
maturity. It also could have been a slight bit of hesitancy after a broken sternum. Once
Tkachuk turned it on, the Panthers as a team began cooking during the regular season.
This is a player that is as valuable on the ice as he is between the whistles as he is in
the locker room as he is in the community. He wasn’t as clutch as last year’s run, but
there were still some big moments for Matthew. Barkov is the on-ice general — leading
his team by example, work ethic, and discipline. Tkachuk is on the front line — dragging
teammates into the trenches with him and showing all of the ugly bits that are necessary
to push a team over the edge (either his or the opponents). It’s yin and yang and it’s
fantastic.

Carter Verhaeghe: The most prolific playoff scorer in franchise history and one of the
top clutch performers in the game today. Verhaeghe’s transformation from fourth line
player on a Cup-winning team to a top flight sniper on another Cup champion is
amazing. He does all of the other stuff too. Despite a drought in the Finals and some
stretches where his confidence was shaken, Verheaghe was once again in the mix in
game seven. This is a guy every team would want on the ice when a game is on the
line.

Talking Points