Panthers Front Office Named NHL's Best

The Athletic recently ran a poll on fans' opinions on every NHL front office, and to no surprise, Zito and the Panthers took the top spot easily. Florida earned the best rating in the league from the general public in six different categories - roster building, cap management, trading, free agency, vision and total. Seventy-five percent of respondents also say they feel more confident in the Panthers' front office than they did last year, which is saying a lot because they also topped the 2024 ranking.

"What is left to be said about the front office of the back-to-back champions that hasn’t already been said?" The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn wrote. "As good as some other front offices are, no other franchise is close to operating at the level of the Florida Panthers, who are the class of the league. As one commenter aptly put it: 'they don’t miss.'

"The Matthew Tkachuk trade stands out as the first domino from this era of dominance and it feels like the Panthers really haven’t missed since. Every trade and every signing served a purpose and led them to two straight Stanley Cups. It’s also led to top marks in literally everything but drafting. Given how strong the team is at building its roster out through other avenues, it’s fair to give Florida a pass there."

With Zito's current hot streak, it's almost unfathomable that he hasn't won the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award yet. Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill has won the award in each of the past three years, and while he's great at his job too, Zito definitely deserves the recognition.

The Stars, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens rounded out the top five front offices in this poll, but it's clear that the Panthers are a step above the rest.