It was pure elation for the Florida Panthers this past summer. Not only did they win their second of back-to-back Stanley Cups after their third straight appearance in the Final, but they also retained Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad on lengthy contract extensions. Things can change fast in the NHL, though.
A December win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday felt way too important than it should be for this team. The desperate Panthers squad erased a three-goal deficit and then another two-goal deficit to pull one out right at the buzzer in overtime for a much-needed victory. Another loss could have been disastrous.
Even with that win the Panthers still find themselves in second last in the East, thanks to some key injuries and inconsistent play. Thursdayâ€s loss to Nashville was a crushing blow, as most teams have been picking up two points against the Predators this season. I donâ€t think anyone wouldnâ€t believe in the Panthers if they qualify for the playoffs, no matter what seed they are, but they are starting to dig themselves a big hole they may not be able to get out of.
Florida will not make the post-seasonÂ
As it stands today, the Panthers are five points out of third in the Atlantic and five points out of a wild card spot. They remain in the mix thanks to a very mediocre Atlantic division and a conference where no one is running away with things. Still, even if those odds donâ€t look insurmountable, itâ€s not always about how many points back you are as opposed to how many teams you have to pass.
With the loser point leading to a number of three-point games, you have to go on a really great run to make up ground. Thatâ€s especially true in Floridaâ€s case, with six teams between them and the playoff cutoff line. The Panthers would have to play at a .616 points percentage the rest of the way to reach 95 points, which should give them a chance at a wild card spot. Thatâ€s easier said than done, though, as Florida played at a less than .600 clip when they finished third in the Atlantic a year ago, with a much healthier team. Itâ€s going to be a real uphill climb for the Panthers to defend their title.
Overreaction? – No
Whatâ€s really working against the Panthers here is injuries. Perhaps Aleksander Barkov will be available for the post-season, but that wonâ€t matter if Florida doesnâ€t get there first. Matthew Tkachuk has also missed substantial time and should be back sooner than later, though it remains to be seen how much of a boost that will give the lineup. Those are the two biggest names the Panthers have been missing but other more under the radar losses like Eetu Luostarinen and Dmitry Kulikov have also taken a toll. Kulikov has played only one-and-a-half games this season, leading to a ripple effect of Seth Jones, Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad having to absorb more ice time. Any hope of Florida managing some of its veteranâ€s minutes has gone out the door with all the injuries. Â
Brad Marchand is having a great year, but other key Panthers arenâ€t delivering what weâ€re accustomed to. Carter Verhaeghe is trending towards just 20 or so goals again after averaging 38 from 2022-2024, Sam Reinhart is scoring less than a point-per-game for only the second time in five seasons and Forsling, who was a combined plus-89 over the past two seasons, is only sitting at plus-three right now. Â
Not to mention Sergei Bobrovsky, whose numbers are starting to slip. At 37 years old and after three very deep playoff runs, the Panthers netminder isnâ€t having a banner season, sporting an .881 save percentage and ranking only 50th in goals saved above expected. Bobrovskyâ€s save percentage would rank as the worst of his career and the only other time he had a mark below .900 was back in 2011-12. It would be foolish to write off Bobrovsky yet, but itâ€s hard to see him getting better as the season drags on considering how much extra hockey heâ€s played over the past three springs.
Every team has been trying to figure out a way to beat the Panthers in the post-season and the best answer might be to simply try to keep them out of the playoffs altogether. Â
Jason Robertson deserves a spot on Team USA
Robertson certainly picked a good time to go on an incredible heater. The Dallas Stars forward canâ€t be stopped over the past month, tallying 26 points in November and Robertson now has 15 goals in his past 13 games. That has vaulted him up the ranks when it comes to the conversation for the American Olympic team after Robertson wasnâ€t included on the Four Nations squad. Robertson is also due for a contract extension thatâ€s going to include a substantial raise, as heâ€s now on pace for 105 points. Thatâ€s a total many felt Robertson couldnâ€t get back to after he cleared the century mark back in the 2022-23 season. Even with all the talent USA has, itâ€s hard to imagine Robertson not being included in the Olympic squad given how well heâ€s playing.
Overreaction? – No
The Americans are loaded at forward, but youâ€d have to think thereâ€s room for a player thatâ€s producing at an elite level on one of the leagueâ€s best teams. You can bring an extra forward to the Olympics for a total of 14 and letâ€s assume Chris Kreider, Brock Nelson and Vincent Trocheck donâ€t make the cut this time around, which would leave:
Auston Matthews
Jack Hughes
Jack Eichel
Matt Boldy
Matthew Tkachuk
Brady Tkachuk
Dylan Larkin
Clayton Keller
Tage Thompson
Jake Guentzel
Kyle Connor
JT Miller
Cole Caufield
Jason Robertson
Thatâ€s not even including Alex Tuch, who some may have on their final rosters, but I canâ€t see Tuch, Trocheck, Nelson or Kreider overtaking Robertson for a roster spot. Heâ€s just been too good.
Hurricanes need to add a goalie
The Carolina Hurricanes have big expectations once again this season and are determined to get over the hump and into the Stanley Cup Final, but bad goaltending could potentially derail those plans. Iâ€m not sure the Canes planned on Brandon Bussi even being on the roster this year, let alone being their most important netminder. Bussi has been excellent since Carolina plucked him off waivers from Florida back in October, going 8-1-0 with 5.4 goals saved above expected. But therein lies the problem, Bussi shouldnâ€t be that important to the Canes. Pyotr Kochetkov has missed all but five games with injuries and Frederik Andersen has struggled mightily in 2025-26. It would be foolish for Carolina to bank on the inexperienced Bussi playing this way for the remainder of the season, so they may have to look into adding someone for insurance if Kochetkov and Andersen canâ€t solidify the crease. Â
Overreaction? – Yes
There are a handful of teams that are likely in the market for a goalie right now, including Montreal and Edmonton, but there isnâ€t an obvious upgrade out there for Carolina. Even though Andersenâ€s numbers have been dreadful this season, with only three quality starts on the year and the fact that he hasnâ€t posted a save percentage better than .850 in five straight outings, sometimes the devil you know is better than the one you donâ€t in net.
Adding a goalie is easier said than done and the handful of options available at the moment all have flaws. Jordan Binnington and Tristan Jarry could be in play, as well as Laurent Brossoit, who is on a conditioning stint in the AHL. Itâ€s not like those three donâ€t come with potential concerns of their own. Elvis Merzlikins and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen may also be available, but the acquisition cost would be high. Perhaps thereâ€s another outside the box option weâ€re not seeing that the Canes can look into as well, but goalies are never a sure thing. If I was Carolina, Iâ€d rather bank on Andersenâ€s game improving and Kochetkov getting healthy to help support Bussi.
Caps will finish first in the East again
The Washington Capitals shocked much of the hockey world last season by claiming the most points in the Eastern Conference and it certainly doesnâ€t look like a fluke. After overcoming a four-game losing streak in late October, the Caps have righted the ship and have now won nine of their past 11 games. Theyâ€ve also outscored their opponents 31-12 in their last seven and now have the best goal differential in the East at plus-26, second only to Colorado and Dallas in the entire NHL. There was some concern that Washington would regress this season based on a number of players having career years in 2024-25 with inflated shooting percentages, but right now they look like a wagon again. The Capitals are leading the East and may have a chance to run away with it given the way theyâ€ve been playing lately. Â
Overreaction? – No
In a very mediocre Eastern Conference, the Caps may have the best shot of starting to create some distance between them and the rest of the pack. They are mostly healthy, minus Ryan Leonard going down Friday night, where other contenders for the conference crown like Tampa Bay and New Jersey are dealing with key injuries. Meanwhile, Carolina got off to a great start but they have slowed down a fair bit. Washington is starting to click on all cylinders and they donâ€t have any glaring weaknesses. Â
Logan Thompson leads the league in goals saved above expected. John Carlson is having a renaissance season and Jakob Chychrun is on pace to shatter last yearâ€s 20-goal total. Alex Ovechkin is also starting to come around and is now on pace for a 40-goal season at age 40. Not to mention Leonard is starting to show flashes of what could make him a premier power forward sooner rather than later. The Caps are a deep team and you have to really squint to find any flaws right now.
The Sabres will regret trading for Josh Norris
If you were judging today, youâ€d have no choice but to admit the Ottawa Senators won the Dylan Cozens and Josh Norris swap. Cozens has been a very effective player for the Sens since arriving in Ottawa, while Norris has been limited to just seven games across parts of two seasons for the Sabres. Those seven games have been excellent, though, as Norris has totaled seven points in those outings, with five of them coming in only four contests this season. Norris†talent has never been in question, itâ€s always been his health. Injuries have plagued Norris relentlessly throughout his career and finally led the Sens to moving him, despite his upside and talent. We simply havenâ€t seen Norris in the lineup enough to trust he can be an impact player.
Overreaction? – Yes
I canâ€t believe Norrisâ€s luck is this bad. The injuries donâ€t seem to be related and itâ€s hard to imagine him missing huge chunks of time for the remainder of his stay in Buffalo. Norris is making less than $8M per year for the next four seasons beyond this one, which isnâ€t an exorbitant amount if Norris ends up being a top line player for the Sabres. It also could be huge for Tage Thompson if the two can develop chemistry together. There has to be at least mild concern that Thompson could want out if Buffalo continues to struggle. Hopefully playing with a centre like Norris and connecting with him for a bunch of points will make Thompson want to stay. Â
The Sabres do have a lot of talent up front and if Norris can stay healthy thereâ€s no reason to believe he canâ€t be a 70-point player for them on a good value contract.
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