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Panthers' Trade Plans Emerge Before Wild Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Jan 24, 2026 11:02 AM ET

The Florida Panthers are still chasing a playoff spot as the season approaches its final third and the 2026 Olympics break in early February.

Despite back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, the defending champions haven’t found their rhythm this year, sitting seventh in the Eastern Conference wild-card race and five points off the second spot.

Injuries have impacted the Panthers' results to date, most prominently with captain and forward Aleksander Barkov out since the start of the season and in long-term injured reserve, with defenseman Seth Jones also ruled out for at least another month.

Matthew Tkachuk, meanwhile, played his first game of the season on Monday, and Brad Marchand is also sidelined.

On TSN’s “Insider Trading,” Pierre LeBrun said the Panthers might already be feeling some pressure, and explained how that might push them to act before the Olympic roster freeze on Feb. 4.

“My sense of things from talking to other people around the league is Bill Zito has been pretty active phoning around and trying to understand what’s out there to upgrade his team,” LeBrun said.

LeBrun added that Florida’s front office is not zeroing in on a single position, taking more of a reactive than proactive approach to find market opportunities.

“I don’t think it’s a specific area he’s trying to address. I think it’s, generally, what can I do to upgrade my team before Feb. 4,” LeBrun said. “So, keep an eye on Florida. They’ve made a lot of good trades the last few years and they’re trying to make another one.”

OEL injury adds further emphasis to Leafs ongoing D search on trade market. That, plus items on Sweden Olympic team, Oilers and Panthers and more in latest Rumblings for ⁦@TheAthletic⁩ ⤵️ https://t.co/67rvUmKdi2
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) January 22, 2026

LeBrun also addressed the situation in a report published at The Athletic, reporting that Zito’s approach is wide-ranging and patient but driven by the urgency of Florida's position in the standings.

“It sounds like an open-ended approach — not a specific targeted need. They’re open to anything that would be an upgrade,” LeBrun wrote. “What Zito won’t do is make a trade for the sake of making a trade. They don’t want to fall into that trap.”

Florida improved to 26–20–3 after beating the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. They will face the Minnesota Wild next on Saturday at 9:00 p.m. ET.

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

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