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Aleksander Barkov's Panthers Message Should Worry NHL Rivals

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Jun 22, 2025 7:32 AM ET

A third consecutive Stanley Cup might not be far off for the Florida Panthers, or at least that's team captain Aleksander Barkov's view of the current Panthers' contending window.

Barkov surely wants the rest of the NHL to know about the Panthers' plans, and he made them clear on Saturday amid the endless celebration of the second Florida championship in as many years.

“I don’t see us slowing down,” Barkov told the Miami Herald on Saturday, just days after leading the Panthers to back-to-back titles.

Only three franchises—the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Islanders—have ever completed a three-peat.

‘I don’t see us slowing down’: Even after two Stanley Cups, #FlaPanthers strive for more

A deep dive into the Panthers' success and how they're set up to keep that success rolling into the future.https://t.co/CioXh1Zr0n
— Jordan McPherson (@J_McPherson1126) June 21, 2025

While the Panthers have only won two titles, Florida has now made three straight trips to the finals and could join that elite club next season if they can go the distance.

Asked about the broken Cup, the Panthers captain wasn’t fazed.

“The Keepers of the Cup have seen worse,” Barkov said regarding the dented trophy, per Olive.

The Panthers have earned their place as the NHL’s newest dynasty-in-the-making, and only the Tampa Bay Lightning prevented a three-peat with their win over Florida in 2023.

General manager Bill Zito made clear after winning the Cup earlier this week that the franchise is willing to spend as much money as possible to retain all their core players, including pending free agents Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand.

"We’re going to spend to the cap," Zito said during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Wednesday. "The Viola family ownership has empowered us to try to do everything we can to have the best team we can. So we’re going to spend it all."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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