It was an open secret in the NHL, but Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito made sure to put it into words with a reminder for Matthew Tkachuk and company: they are all-in. After re-signing Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett, and Aaron Ekblad, the Panthers made a statement of intent.
The NHL is officially on dynasty watch when it comes to the Panthers. The window is wide open for Florida to add more Stanley Cups to its trophy cabinet. Marchand, Ekblad, Bennett, Tkachuk, and many others are here to stay—and that’s more than enough to excite the fanbase.
The Sunshine State is enjoying its best summers in the NHL. The Cats are a wagon—a team no one wants to face in the postseason. However, the odds suggest that to win it all, teams will have to get past the reigning back-to-back champions.
It felt like Zito and the Panthers’ biggest challenge would be the NHL’s salary cap, but the Cats worked their magic and beat the odds by re-signing Marchand, Ekblad, and Bennett. While they dodged a big bullet, the job’s not finished—and Florida is well aware it’s in for a rollercoaster season, where the financial side of the puck might come back to bite at any moment.
“We’re gonna be right at the cap this year and it’s gonna be tight,” Bill Zito said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “Our core is locked up until 2030 and with the cap going up we’ll be able to make additions.”
The Core 10
Teams in the NHL usually build a core of about three to four players. The Panthers do things differently, as they’ve established a foundation of ten stars. And they are staying in Sunrise for a very long time, which can only spell trouble for the rest of the league.
The following are all under contract at least until the 2030 free agency: Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad, Anton Lundell, Seth Jones, Gustav Forsling, and Sam Bennett.
Welcome aboard!
The Panthers are determined to build on their recent success, aiming to complete a three-peat. No team has won three straight Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders captured four in a row from 1980 to 1983. In hopes of making history in the salary cap era, Florida has added key pieces to its puzzle.
In addition to the extensions handed to Marchand, Bennett, Ekblad, and Tomas Nosek, the Cats have signed: Jack Studnicka, Daniil Tarasov, Brandon Bussi, Kirill Geramsiyuk, and Nolan Foote.
Thanks for the memories
Obviously, hoisting consecutive Stanley Cups came at a price for the Panthers and they were forced to let go some key players. Among the most important departures, the Cats have waved goodbye to: Nate Schmidt (Utah), Vitek Vanecek (Utah), Nico Sturm (Minnesota), and Jaycob Megna (Vegas).