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Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Florida Panthers 2025-26 Roster Projection

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Nicholas Seitz | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 2:15 PM ET

With Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand recently signed to long-term deals, the Florida Panthers’ roster has rare stability for years to come. They have Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, Anton Lundell, Carter Verhaeghe, Marchand, Ekblad, Bennett, Seth Jones, and Gustav Forsling all signed for at least the next five years. That is an impressive level of security that few NHL teams have achieved, and it all but assures that the Panthers will be contenders for the foreseeable future.

That stability also makes this a relatively easy article to write. There have been two peripheral acquisitions so far this offseason, trading for backup goalie Daniil Tarasov and signing veteran defenseman Jeff Petry. Additionally, the Panthers have a few minor issues to address before next season, including restricted free agent Mackie Samoskevich, and the organization is a few million dollars above the salary cap. However, for the most part, the Panthers will have the luxury of running back a roster that won the 2025 Stanley Cup.

Forward Lines

Line 1: Carter Verhaeghe – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Line 2: Evan Rodrigues – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Line 3: Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
Line 4: A.J. Greer/Jonah Gadjovich – Tomas Nosek – Jesper Boqvist
TBD: Mackie Samoskevich

The Panthers have an elite mix of flexibility and well-established chemistry. Any forward in the top nine can play on the first line if necessary. There was a stretch last season in which the Panthers sustained some injuries, and Anton Lundell averaged 19-20 minutes per night as the Panthers’ second-line center, a position in which he thrived. While they have flexibility, they also have last year’s playoff run as proof that this lineup works well. The third line, in particular, was instrumental as an offensive catalyst during the playoffs, making the Panthers a matchup nightmare for opposing coaches.

The fourth line is perhaps the only one in a bit of flux, as Samoskevich needs a new contract. However, the four players currently listed above on the fourth line are all on team-friendly deals and have proven that they can provide heavy minutes in a limited role.

Defense Pairings

Pair 1: Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Pair 2: Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Pair 3: Dmitry Kulikov – Jeff Petry
Extra: Uvis Balinskis

The only change to the Panthers’ defense core from last season is the loss of Nate Schmidt (who signed a three-year deal with the Utah Mammoth) and the addition of Petry. The Panthers’ defense is a great blend of offensive contribution, especially after the midseason acquisition of Jones, and defensive reliability.

Goalies

Starter: Sergei Bobrovsky
Backup: Daniil Tarasov

Bobrovsky will be entering the final year of his $10 million-a-year contract with no signs of slowing down. Even at age 36, he continues to be a steady, consistent regular-season goaltender with the ability to elevate his game come playoff time.

There have been some fluctuations at the backup position over the last year. Spencer Knight was traded midseason, and Vitek Vanecek, the backup during last season’s playoff run, will be replaced by Daniil Tarasov. Tarasov is an intriguing young goaltender with a lot of size and athleticism who will get his first chance to play in front of a top-end defense.

Overall Impressions

For a team that has made three Stanley Cup Final appearances, with back-to-back championships, the extent to which the Panthers have been able to keep together their core is remarkable. Outside of a few minor tweaks, Florida will be running back a very similar roster to the one they had last season. While it is impossible to predict the twists and turns of a long campaign, with this roster, they should be the Stanley Cup favorites once again in 2025-26.