3 burning Panthers questions entering 2026-27 NHL season

The Florida Panthers have dominated the 2020s. They were Presidents’ Trophy winners at the beginning of the decade. And in the middle part, they went to three straight Stanley Cup Finals. Of course, they won two of those Cups in 2024 and 2025.

Unfortunately, the 2025-26 campaign was a painful one, literally and figuratively. The Panthers struggled with injuries throughout the season. They lost captain Aleksander Barkov before the year began, in fact. And things just did not improve from there.

The Panthers had a massive decision to make before the 2026-27 season. Florida could have used this summer to retool and see how things played out. Or they could have elected to add to the roster and try to contend this coming season.

Florida, rather emphatically, chose the latter. Before the 2026 NHL Draft, the Panthers traded for Brady Tkachuk in a deal with the Ottawa Senators. From there, they made moves to add veteran pieces and shore up their team for a Cup run ahead.

With the 2026-27 season drawing near, here are three important questions facing Florida entering the new campaign.

How will Brady and Matthew Tkachuk gel?

The Panthers shocked the hockey world by trading for the other Tkachuk brother. Brady was the captain of the Senators and had spent his entire career there. Now, he is coming to Sunrise to play with his brother, Matthew.

Both players are high-end talents in the NHL. They can absolutely impact a game in numerous ways, and they have proven capable of leading their teams to success. On paper, this is an incredible move from Florida as it seeks a return to Cup contention.

However, that is simply how things look on paper. If games were played on paper, many teams across the league would have a claim to a Cup. Of course, that’s not how sports work.

Can the Tkachuk brothers gel together on the ice? Can they lead this Panthers team to the heights they wish to reach? Only time will tell here.

Can Jacob Markstrom bounce back?

The Panthers lost goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky through NHL free agency this summer. He signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs on a three-year contract. With backup Daniil Tarasov also out the door, this is a whole new goaltending tandem in Florida.

The Panthers elected to trade for Jacob Markstrom in a deal with the New Jersey Devils. Then, they swung a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights to land Akira Schmid. These are the goaltenders tasked with pushing the team toward Cup contention in 2026-27.

Markstrom is the likely starter for Florida this coming season. He has experience on his side. However, he is coming off a brutal stint with the Devils. And a lot is being asked of him this coming campaign.

Can Markstrom become the starting-caliber goaltender the Panthers need? Or will the team have to seek another puck-stopping option either during or after 2026-27?

Will injuries be the storyline once again?

As mentioned, the Panthers struggled mightily with injuries during the 2025-26 campaign. Florida could not stay healthy for much of the year. Despite the talent, it eventually did them in.

Many of Florida’s star players are coming back. Barkov is set to return after losing the 2025-26 season entirely due to an ACL tear. Brad Marchand, Dmitry Kulikov, and Matthew Tkachuk are all back healthy, as well.

This question is sort of two-fold. First, can the Panthers remain healthy in 2026-27? The talent is evident, but if they can’t stay healthy, this team faces a real risk of falling behind in the Atlantic Division.

Second, will last year’s injuries slow them down in any way? Being cleared to play is one thing. However, it’s not unreasonable to expect that previous injuries could slow some players down. Especially with a roster that is getting up there in age.

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