The Florida Panthers appear three times in Sportsnet’s Most compelling games on 2026-27 NHL schedule with writer Emily Sadler flagging this trio of tilts involving the Cats:
Hurricanes raise the banner, then up the ante — Panthers @ Hurricanes, September 29
After hoisting the Stanley Cup in June, the Hurricanes will open the 2026-27 season with one final celebration as they raise their banner to the rafters. And then the real fun begins as they officially launch their campaign to run it back. It’s fitting that it should begin with a game against the Panthers — few teams have been as sharp a thorn in Carolina’s side in recent years than Florida, after all. With Florida’s roster healthy again and now boasting a new starting goalie and a second Tkachuk, they’ll be eager to make a season-opening statement and measure themselves against the champs while the Hurricanes get their first glimpse of what it’ll take to get back to the top against a team that knows just how tall a task that is.
Cue the boos: Brady goes back to Ottawa — Panthers @ Senators, Oct. 21
A lot can change with one transaction, and there may be no better example of that than the league-altering trade between Florida and Ottawa that saw Senators captain Brady Tkachuk reunite with his big brother on the Panthers and deliver a massive blow to the Senators’ contender status in the process. That the deal was prompted by Tkachuk’s trade request out of Canada’s capital guarantees a not-so-warm welcome back to Ottawa. Bring on the drama.
Bobrovsky visits Florida in rival colours — Maple Leafs @ Panthers, March 6
Those banners hanging in the rafters at Amerant Bank Arena? They simply aren’t there without Sergei Bobrovsky’s heroics en route to back-to-back championships. Expect the team and fans to welcome him back accordingly, giving the goalie his due despite the threads he’s wearing. That his potential return takes place so late in the season, and tees up three meetings between the clubs within a three-week span, really ups the intrigue — Bobrovsky practically made a career of foiling the Maple Leafs, and now might just have a chance to do the same against Florida down the stretch.
The Philadelphia Flyers have agreed to terms with restricted free agent defenseman Jamie Drysdale on a four-year contract with an average annual value of $6.5 million, avoiding a scheduled arbitration hearing. Drysdale produced 32 points (8G/24A) in 78 games with the Flyers in 2025-26, which was second among the team’s defensemen. He had three assists in three games against the Panthers.
Out of the fifteen players who filed for arbitration, nine have signed new deals with their clubs.
Updated NHL arbitration hearing schedule
- Jet Greaves (Columbus) – July 23
- Jason Robertson (Dallas) – July 25
- Cole Sillinger (Columbus) – July 27
- Ronan Seely (Carolina) – July 29
- Alex Jefferies (New York Islanders) – July 30
- Akira Schmid (Florida) – August 1
The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Saturday that they have signed Connor Bedard to a five-year contract worth $75 million. The massive deal ($15 million AAV) makes Bedard one of the highest-paid players in the NHL and runs through the 2031-32 season. It also includes a full no-move clause in the final year of the contract. Bedard is coming off his best season in the league, setting new career highs with 30 goals, 45 assists and 75 points in just 69 games.