3 reasons Panthers missed 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Tkachuk injury was something that head coach Paul Maurice and general manager knew about prior to the start of the season and his absence was not a surprise. They had a gameplan that could have accommodated for his loss if there weren’t so many other injuries.

As the season progressed the Panthers lost a slew of key players who had been involved in their previous championships. Thaose players included Anton Lundell, Evan Rodrigues, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, Niko Mikkola and Uvis Balinskis.

None of these were minor players. They were the individuals that Maurice depended on in the team’s most crucial moments. Reinhart had been a forward who was able to create a lot of havoc in the offensive zone with his ability to screen goaltenders, deflect shots and jump on rebounds. He also knew how to stand up for his teammates when physical play was needed.

He demonstrated how vital he was in the Stanley Cup playoffs when he scored 11 goals and 12 assists last year.

Rodrigues has never been a player who put massive regular-season numbers on the board, but he had proven himself in the clutch. He came through in the playoffs for the Panthers with 15 points in each of the Stanley Cup years.

Marchand injury was too much to overcome

Marchand is one of the greatest acquisitions in the history of the Panthers. They acquired him at the trade deadline a year ago in a last-minute deal with the Boston Bruins — one of Florida’s main rivals.

Marchand was one of the most hated players on the Bruins and he despised the Panthers, yet once the trade was made, adjustments were made by both the player and the team. He fit in with his new team perfectly, and while his uniform No. 63 will one day hang from the rafters at TD Garden, he proved to be one of the main reasons that they won their second consecutive championship.

Marchand, 37, suffered a lower-body injury in the second half of the year and he was able to play in just 52 games this season. He scored 27 goals and 27 assists before he was finished, but the Panthers lost their edge once Marchand’s season came to an end.

Goaltending was an issue for Panthers

One of the main reasons the Panthers secured a pair of Stanley Cups was the brilliant goaltending of Sergei Bobrovsky.
Maurice certainly expected the team’s defense and the goaltending to perform at high level this season, but Bobrovsky did not have a stellar year.

The 37-year-old goaltender has a 27-23-1 record this season with a 3.07 goals against average and an .877 save percentage. That performance was not good enough to keep the Panthers afloat this season.

Zito and Maurice will have a very tough decision to make in the offseason because Bobrovsky will be up for a new contract. The two leaders have to come to a conclusion on whether they still believe that Bobrovsky can get the job done. The cap hit on Bobrovsky has been $10 million per season on his current contract.

If they think that he has started to slow down, they have to go in a new direction. Backup goaltender Danill Tarasov, 26, has some ability, but he is not a proven performer in big-game situations.

The injury to Barkov, the multiple injuries to multiple key players and the inconsistent goaltending cost the Panthers a spot in the playoffs this season.