Florida Panthers Have a Chance to Repeat
The Florida Panthers are the defending Stanley Cup champions after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals.
General manager Bill Zito had to make roster changes during the offseason as the salary cap forced him to keep some players over others. Even though Sam Reinhart was re-signed, the Panthers lost Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, two stud defensemen, in free agency.
Not to mention the depth players they lost when free agency opened. However, the core of the Panthers remains the same with Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, Gustav Forsling, and Reinhart. In addition, Sergei Bobrovsky still mans the cage, so the Panthers have a chance in every game they play.
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And with head coach Paul Maurice still using the same system, there's no reason why the Panthers can't make a run at the Stanley Cup. And as the old saying goes, champs are champions until beaten. However, it will not be easy.
NHL Network: Last week on NHL Network, Tony Luftman and Bruce Boudreau discussed two divisions in the Eastern Conference. They moved to the Atlantic Division, and Boudreau was asked which team had the best offseason and is the best team currently in the division. He said the Florida Panthers.
** NHLRumors.com transcript
Tony Luftman: Last year he was behind us. The best team in this division in the off-season right now?
Bruce Boudreau: “I mean, you have to go to Florida, the stadiums. You have to go with them until they are dethroned, they are the best team, right? And I mean, not only have they been unseated, but they've been to the Cup final two years in a row, so, I mean, if you've been to the Cup and you can keep most of your core back, then I think. You are so beautiful that you beat me to the ground, I am the one who beats me. And that's Florida. They are the best team until someone says they are not.”
Florida's in-state rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning, made three Stanley Cup Final appearances, so it can be done. Florida has the team to do it, but again, it's going to be tough. The Florida Panthers will have stiff competition from the Atlantic and Metro Divisions.
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But there's a new king in town running things in Florida. It's the Panthers, and we've seen Florida become the new state of hockey.
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