SUNRISE, Fla. (CBS12) — The Florida Panthers are undeniably the powerhouse of the NHL entering the 2025-26 season.
The Panthers are the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions and have been to the Finals in three consecutive seasons. They return literally their entire core from last season, including the likes of Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand. All three players re-signed in the offseason and Tomas Nosek and Mackie Samoskevich were extended to new contracts.
Florida looked rather dominant in the playoffs, defeating the likes of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes in five games. Meanwhile, they defeated the Edmonton Oilers in six games, winning three of their games by at least three goals.
The Panthers weren’t exactly impressive in the regular season, finishing the season fifth in the Eastern Conference with 98 points. Part of that can be attributed due to the absence of Matthew Tkachuk, who missed the last two months of the season due to an injury suffered in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Tkachuk returned in time for the start of the playoffs.
Entering the 2025-26 season, Tkachuk will miss at least the first few months of the season due to the groin injury he suffered during last season’s 4 Nations Face-Off. His father, Brady Tkachuk, details why the Panthers are still the favorites and a threat to be reckoned with in the absence of his 27-year-old son.
“Well, first of all, I go back to my conversation with Matthew last year and they didn’t get off to a great start, they weren’t great at different times during the year,” says the elder Tkachuk in a one-on-one interview. “He said to me, ‘Dad, we don’t care if we finish first or second in our division. We just want to get in. We feel we can beat anybody.'”
That was proven right when the Panthers had a more impressive playoff showing in 2025 than they did in 2024, especially with the additions of Marchand and Seth Jones at the trade deadline.
“That was their mindset, and that’s confidence,” says Tkachuk of the Panthers. “They lost one player from last year’s team. They’re bringing everybody back. They’re still at the age, they got Sergei Bobrovsky and Marchand in their mid-to-late 30s. Everybody else is from 27 to 32 years old. I think the biggest issue they might have is the wear and tear over the last three years of going as deep as they as they did, plus all the guys in the Four Nations last year and what’s going to happen in February in the Olympics. Fatigue might set in, but I think they’re mentally strong, and their culture is too good. But you never know what could happen in the playoffs.”
The Panthers will look to accomplish the same thing by winning as they’ll be without Tkachuk until at least December.
The Panthers are considered the Stanley Cup favorites entering this season. Florida will open their preseason slate on Sunday against the Nashville Predators and will open their regular season schedule on Oct. 7 against the Chicago Blackhawks.