Panthers’ dream, nightmare scenario for 2026 NHL Trade Deadline

The dream of winning a third consecutive Stanley Cup has all but gone down the drain for the Florida Panthers. Injuries have played a role in the team’s disappointing 2025-26 season, but those issues are not the only problems. General manager Bill Zito and head coach Paul Maurice know that their team has been unable to sustain the success and fire that the Panthers have enjoyed for the past three seasons.

Starting in the 2022-23 season, the Panthers have been a sharp, aggressive and opportunistic team that played its best in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Florida was the No. 8 seed that season, making the playoffs on the last day of the regular season. They drew the record-setting Boston Bruins in the first round and rallied from a 3-1 deficit to score an upset.

They rode that momentum to victories in the next two rounds and a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights. While they fell short in that series, the message had been sent to the rest of the NHL. The Panthers had gained confidence with Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Aaron Ekblad and Sergei Bobrovsky leading the way. They would beat the Edmonton Oilers in the championship series in each of 2024 and ’25.

Maurice has not had Barkov this season as he had major knee surgery following an injury last September. He has not returned at this point and while there is some hope that a late-season appearance is possible, the Panthers are well on the outside of the playoff structure. They are 8 points out of the last playoff spot, and they would have to climb over five teams just to get into that position.

Panthers should be prepared to trade key asset

Since the trade deadline is Friday, a playoff position is unrealistic. The Panthers have split two games since returning from the Olympic break and their next three games prior to the deadline are against the New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils and Columbus Blue Jackets. They are all on the road and all appear challenging.

The last thing Zito and Maurice want to do is sell their team short, but the championship dream and a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs is all but gone. As a result, the Panthers will best be served by going into sell mode.

They could decide to move Bobrovsky at the trade deadline. There is no doubt that he is one of the best clutch goaltenders in the league, but he is also on an expiring contract and he will be a free agent at season’s end.

Any of the contending teams for this year’s title would have to look at their goaltending situation and decide if it is good enough to get them to the title. Bobrovsky has accomplished that goal in each of the last two years.

The Panthers do not have first-round draft picks in either of the next two seasons, so why not replenish in that area? The idea of acquiring a Stanley Cup-winning goalie would have to appeal to the Edmonton Oilers, the team that has lost the last two years to the Panthers in the championship series. Several other teams could also be interested.

Trading their goaltender would send the message that the Panthers are breaking up their team, but it could pay dividends down the road and might be the dream scenario.

Trading depth forward seems likely

While a trade of Bobrovsky would create ripples throughout the NHL, the Panthers also have depth forwards who would also be attractive to multiple teams.

Evan Rodrigues and Eetu Luostarinen are very valuable trade assets. While both are under contract to remain with the Panthers for the 2026-27 season, neither one is high-priced.

Rodrigues and Luostarinen are both scheduled to earn $3 million next season and teams that are looking to fill positions in their third and fourth lines would be wise to bring either of these players into the fold. The Panthers would benefit by gaining draft picks or young talent for either Rodrigues and Luostarinen.

Rodrigues has been a key performer in each of the last two playoff years. He has seven goals and 15 points in the 2024 Stanley Cup run and he also had 15 points in last year’s postseason. Adding a player like Rodrigues could prove to be a difference maker for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations.

Fooling themsleves by doing nothing would be nightmarish for Panthers

The best thing Zito can do for his team is to accept the reality that is about to hit the Panthers. The team should not sit on the sidelines and refuse to take advantage of its major assets. The days keep falling off the calendar and the future is just around the corner.

The Panthers are not going to retain their title this year, but they could make another run next year or the year after. Preparing for the future by trading key assets can allow that to happen. Failing to do so would hurt the team quite a bit.

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