The Florida Panthers are still chasing a playoff spot as the season approaches its final third and the 2026 Olympics break in early February.
Despite back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, the defending champions haven’t found their rhythm this year, sitting seventh in the Eastern Conference wild-card race and five points off the second spot.
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Injuries have impacted the Panthers’ results to date, most prominently with captain and forward Aleksander Barkov out since the start of the season and on long-term injured reserve, with defenseman Seth Jones also ruled out for at least another month.
Forward Matthew Tkachuk, meanwhile, played his first game of the season on Monday, and forward Brad Marchand is also sidelined.
Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) warms up before a game.Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
(Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports)
On TSN’s “Insider Trading,” Pierre LeBrun said the Panthers might already be feeling some pressure and explained how that might push them to act before the Olympic roster freeze on Feb. 4.
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“My sense of things from talking to other people around the league is [general manager] Bill Zito has been pretty active phoning around and trying to understand what’s out there to upgrade his team,” LeBrun said.
LeBrun added that Florida’s front office is not zeroing in on a single position, taking more of a reactive than proactive approach to find market opportunities.
“I don’t think it’s a specific area he’s trying to address. I think it’s, generally, what can I do to upgrade my team before Feb. 4,” LeBrun said. “So, keep an eye on Florida. They’ve made a lot of good trades the last few years and they’re trying to make another one.”
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LeBrun also addressed the situation in a report published at The Athletic, reporting that Zito’s approach is wide-ranging and patient but driven by the urgency of Florida’s position in the standings.
“It sounds like an open-ended approach — not a specific targeted need. They’re open to anything that would be an upgrade,” LeBrun wrote. “What Zito won’t do is make a trade for the sake of making a trade. They don’t want to fall into that trap.”
Florida improved to 26–20–3 by beating the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. They will visit the Minnesota Wild next on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.