2026-27 Florida Panthers Season Preview

Early in the Florida Panthers offseason, they made the huge splash by acquiring Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators. They further added some depth, physicality, and veteran goaltending while parting ways with their longtime starter, Sergei Bobrovsky. They’ll be leaning on a veteran group once again, and hope that health is on their side this season.

Key Additions

Brady Tkachuk (LW) – Acquired from Ottawa on June 21 in exchange for two 2026 first-round picks (No. 9 and 25), a conditional 2029 first-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick. The 26-year-old scored 22 goals and 37 assists in 60 games last season, bringing size, speed, and top-six scoring punch.

Jacob Markstrom (G) – Acquired from New Jersey on June 24 in exchange for Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, and Ben Steeves. The 36-year-old brings veteran stability and playoff experience, expected to share time with Akira Schmid.

Akira Schmid (G) – Acquired from Vegas on June 29 for a 2028 third-round pick. The 26-year-old adds youth and upside to the goaltending group, expected to compete for the No. 2 role.

Lars Eller (C) – Signed a one-year deal on July 1. The 37-year-old brings veteran leadership, two-way play, and middle-six depth, expected to play a third-line role.

Garnet Hathaway (RW) – Acquired from Philadelphia on July 1 for a 2027 third-round pick. The 32-year-old brings physicality, grit, and bottom-six depth, expected to play a fourth-line role.

Radko Gudas (D) – Signed a six-year, $9 million deal ($1.5 million AAV) on July 1 after his rights were acquired from Anaheim. The 36-year-old brings physicality, veteran presence, and third-pairing minutes.

Sam Lafferty (C) – Signed a one-year deal on July 1. The 31-year-old adds depth and physicality, expected to play a fourth-line role.

Key Subtractions

Sergei Bobrovsky (G) – Signed a three-year deal with Toronto on July 1. The 37-year-old had a 2.68 GAA and .906 save percentage in 58 games last season, a significant loss of veteran goaltending and playoff experience.

Evan Rodrigues (LW) – Traded to New Jersey in the Markstrom deal. The 30-year-old had 12 goals and 22 points in 69 games, removing forward depth.

Jesper Boqvist (LW) – Also dealt to New Jersey in the Markstrom trade. The 25-year-old had 10 goals and 18 points in 68 games, a loss of youth and scoring depth.

Mackie Samoskevich (RW) – Traded to Seattle for a 2026 first-round pick (No. 25) and conditional 2027 second-round pick. The 24-year-old had 15 goals and 25 points in 72 games, a notable loss of young scoring punch.

A.J. Greer (LW) – Traded to Anaheim for Radko Gudas. The 29-year-old had 10 goals and 18 points in 68 games, removing physicality and depth from the bottom six.

Core Retained

Florida kept its elite core intact, with Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, and Niko Mikkola all under contract.

Impact on 2026–27

The Panthers’ offseason moves signal a clear push toward competitiveness. Brady Tkachuk adds elite scoring and size to the top six, while Markstrom and Schmid bring stability to the crease. The departures of Bobrovsky, Rodrigues, and Boqvist remove veteran presence and scoring depth, but the additions should push Florida up the standings. Expect the Panthers to be in the playoff hunt, with a deeper, more balanced lineup pushing for another Stanley Cup.

Salary Cap Situation

Projected cap hit – $103,965,714
Roster – 22/23
Projected cap space – $34,286
Deadline cap space – $158,369

Florida Panthers Depth Chart