2025–26 Florida Panthers season
National Hockey League season
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The 2025–26 Florida Panthers season was the 32nd season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established in 1993.[1] The Panthers entered the season as the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions having defeated the Edmonton Oilers in six games in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.[2]
| 2025–26 Florida Panthers | |
|---|---|
| Division | 7th Atlantic |
| Conference | 14th Eastern |
| 2025–26 record | 40–38–4 |
| Home record | 23–15–3 |
| Road record | 17–23–1 |
| Goals for | 251 |
| Goals against | 276 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Bill Zito |
| Coach | Paul Maurice |
| Captain | Aleksander Barkov |
| Alternate captains | Aaron Ekblad Matthew Tkachuk |
| Arena | Amerant Bank Arena |
| Minor league affiliates | Charlotte Checkers (AHL) Savannah Ghost Pirates (ECHL) |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Sam Reinhart (29) |
| Assists | Sam Reinhart (32) |
| Points | Sam Reinhart (61) |
| Penalty minutes | A. J. Greer (113) |
| Plus/minus | A. J. Greer (+6) |
| Wins | Sergei Bobrovsky (26) |
| Goals against average | Sergei Bobrovsky (3.00) |
The Panthers were the subject of criticism after a violent preseason brawl with the Tampa Bay Lightning that resulted in heavy fines and suspensions for Tampa Bay but only a minimal fine for Panthers player A. J. Greer,[3] a disparity that commentators said raised questions about the NHL's disciplinary consistency.[4] The Guardian reported that the episode revived concerns that the league's disciplinary system may favour certain clubs because of personal and institutional connections within NHL administration.[4] The article also highlighted scrutiny of team owner Vincent Viola and minority owner Douglas Cifu over political associations, and a politically-charged social media exchange by Cifu that later resulted in his suspension by the NHL.[4][5]
The Panthers struggled throughout the season with injuries to key players, including captain Aleksander Barkov missing the entire season after suffering a knee injury in the preseason,[6] and were eliminated from playoff contention on April 4, for the first time since the 2018–19 season, following a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins,[7] becoming the first defending champion to miss the playoffs since the 2014–15 Los Angeles Kings,[8] and also became the first two-time defending champion to miss the playoffs since the 1969–70 Montreal Canadiens.[9]
Standings
Divisional standings
| Pos | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | RW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Buffalo Sabres | 82 | 50 | 23 | 9 | 42 | 288 | 241 | +47 | 109 |
| 2 | x – Tampa Bay Lightning | 82 | 50 | 26 | 6 | 40 | 290 | 231 | +59 | 106 |
| 3 | x – Montreal Canadiens | 82 | 48 | 24 | 10 | 34 | 283 | 256 | +27 | 106 |
| 4 | x – Boston Bruins | 82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 33 | 272 | 250 | +22 | 100 |
| 5 | x – Ottawa Senators | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 38 | 278 | 246 | +32 | 99 |
| 6 | Detroit Red Wings | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 30 | 241 | 258 | −17 | 92 |
| 7 | Florida Panthers | 82 | 40 | 38 | 4 | 32 | 251 | 276 | −25 | 84 |
| 8 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 82 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 23 | 253 | 299 | −46 | 78 |
Source: National Hockey League[10]
Rules for classification: 1) Fewer number of games played (GP, only during regular season); 2) Greater number of regulation wins (RW); 3) Greater number of wins in regulation and overtime, excluding shootout wins (ROW); 4) Greater number of total wins, including shootouts (W); 5) Greater number of points earned in head-to-head play; if teams played an uneven number of head-to-head games, the result of the first game on the home ice of the team with the extra home game is discarded; 6) Greater goal differential (GD); 7) Greater number of goals scored (GF)
x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched division
Rules for classification: 1) Fewer number of games played (GP, only during regular season); 2) Greater number of regulation wins (RW); 3) Greater number of wins in regulation and overtime, excluding shootout wins (ROW); 4) Greater number of total wins, including shootouts (W); 5) Greater number of points earned in head-to-head play; if teams played an uneven number of head-to-head games, the result of the first game on the home ice of the team with the extra home game is discarded; 6) Greater goal differential (GD); 7) Greater number of goals scored (GF)
x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched division
Conference standings
| Pos | Div | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | RW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AT | x – Boston Bruins | 82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 33 | 272 | 250 | +22 | 100 |
| 2 | AT | x – Ottawa Senators | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 38 | 278 | 246 | +32 | 99 |
| 3 | ME | Washington Capitals | 82 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 37 | 263 | 244 | +19 | 95 |
| 4 | AT | Detroit Red Wings | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 30 | 241 | 258 | −17 | 92 |
| 5 | ME | Columbus Blue Jackets | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | 28 | 253 | 253 | 0 | 92 |
| 6 | ME | New York Islanders | 82 | 43 | 34 | 5 | 29 | 233 | 241 | −8 | 91 |
| 7 | ME | New Jersey Devils | 82 | 42 | 37 | 3 | 29 | 230 | 254 | −24 | 87 |
| 8 | AT | Florida Panthers | 82 | 40 | 38 | 4 | 32 | 251 | 276 | −25 | 84 |
| 9 | AT | Toronto Maple Leafs | 82 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 23 | 253 | 299 | −46 | 78 |
| 10 | ME | New York Rangers | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 25 | 238 | 250 | −12 | 77 |
Source: National Hockey League[11]
Rules for classification: 1) Fewer number of games played (GP, only during regular season); 2) Greater number of regulation wins (RW); 3) Greater number of wins in regulation and overtime, excluding shootout wins (ROW); 4) Greater number of total wins, including shootouts (W); 5) Greater number of points earned in head-to-head play; if teams played an uneven number of head-to-head games, the result of the first game on the home ice of the team with the extra home game is discarded; 6) Greater goal differential (GD); 7) Greater number of goals scored (GF)
x – Clinched playoff spot
Rules for classification: 1) Fewer number of games played (GP, only during regular season); 2) Greater number of regulation wins (RW); 3) Greater number of wins in regulation and overtime, excluding shootout wins (ROW); 4) Greater number of total wins, including shootouts (W); 5) Greater number of points earned in head-to-head play; if teams played an uneven number of head-to-head games, the result of the first game on the home ice of the team with the extra home game is discarded; 6) Greater goal differential (GD); 7) Greater number of goals scored (GF)
x – Clinched playoff spot
Schedule and results
Preseason
The preseason schedule was published on June 24, 2025.[12]
| 2025 preseason game log: 3–4–0 (Home: 2–0–0; Road: 1–4–0) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Decision | Attendance | Record | Recap |
| 1A | September 21 | Florida | 0–5 | Nashville | Bussi | 5,496 | 0–1–0 | [13] | |
| 2A | September 21 | Florida | 3–5 | Nashville | Black | 17,059 | 0–2–0 | [14] | |
| 3 | September 24 | Florida | 4–2 | Carolina | Tarasov | 18,299 | 1–2–0 | [15] | |
| 4 | September 29 | Carolina | 3–4 | Florida | OT | Bobrovsky | 15,895 | 2–2–0 | [16] |
| 5B | September 30 | Florida | 2–3 | Tampa Bay | Bussi | 15,334 | 2–3–0 | [17] | |
| 6 | October 2 | Florida | 2–5 | Tampa Bay | Tarasov | 13,200 | 2–4–0 | [18] | |
| 7 | October 4 | Tampa Bay | 0–7 | Florida | Bobrovsky | 17,862 | 3–4–0 | [19] | |
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Notes: | |||||||||
Regular season
The regular season schedule was published on July 16, 2025.[20]
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Milestones
| Player | Milestone | Reached |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Maurice | 2,000 NHL Games Coached[103] | March 24, 2026 |
Records
Player statistics
Skaters
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | +/− | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Reinhart | 64 | 29 | 32 | 61 | −18 | 10 |
| Sam Bennett | 76 | 26 | 32 | 58 | −10 | 82 |
| Carter Verhaeghe | 77 | 25 | 30 | 55 | −14 | 32 |
| Brad Marchand | 52 | 27 | 27 | 54 | −16 | 38 |
| Anton Lundell | 64 | 18 | 26 | 44 | −8 | 34 |
| Matthew Tkachuk | 31 | 13 | 21 | 34 | −6 | 48 |
| Eetu Luostarinen | 73 | 11 | 22 | 33 | +4 | 32 |
| A.J. Greer | 78 | 17 | 15 | 32 | +14 | 113 |
| Mackie Samoskevich | 77 | 12 | 20 | 32 | −5 | 30 |
| Seth Jones | 52 | 7 | 25 | 32 | −3 | 18 |
| Evan Rodrigues | 69 | 11 | 20 | 31 | −16 | 38 |
| Gustav Forsling | 80 | 2 | 26 | 28 | −5 | 51 |
| Aaron Ekblad | 72 | 4 | 22 | 26 | −5 | 55 |
| Uvis Balinskis | 54 | 5 | 10 | 15 | −13 | 30 |
| Jesper Boqvist | 73 | 4 | 9 | 13 | −11 | 16 |
| Niko Mikkola | 68 | 3 | 8 | 11 | −1 | 47 |
| Luke Kunin | 62 | 4 | 6 | 10 | −6 | 47 |
| Noah Gregor | 37 | 4 | 5 | 9 | −10 | 26 |
| Cole Reinhardt† | 15 | 6 | 2 | 8 | +4 | 2 |
| Vinnie Hinostroza† | 17 | 3 | 5 | 8 | −4 | 16 |
| Jeff Petry‡ | 58 | 0 | 8 | 8 | −10 | 22 |
| Donovan Sebrango† | 40 | 0 | 8 | 8 | −4 | 63 |
| Cole Schwindt | 29 | 5 | 2 | 7 | +2 | 2 |
| Mike Benning | 18 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −4 | 2 |
| Sandis Vilmanis | 19 | 3 | 2 | 5 | −1 | 4 |
| Tomas Nosek | 21 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −8 | 4 |
| Tobias Bjornfot | 19 | 2 | 2 | 4 | +1 | 2 |
| Jonah Gadjovich | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | +2 | 7 |
| Marek Alscher | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | +4 | 0 |
| Wilmer Skoog | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | +3 | 4 |
| Nolan Foote | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −4 | 6 |
| Ludvig Jansson | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +2 | 0 |
| Mikulas Hovorka | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 0 |
| Dmitry Kulikov | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −5 | 10 |
| Jack Studnicka | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −6 | 4 |
| Jack Devine | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −3 | 2 |
Goaltenders
| Player | GP | GS | TOI | W | L | OT | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sergei Bobrovsky | 52 | 51 | 3009:39 | 27 | 23 | 1 | 154 | 3.07 | 1250 | .877 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| Daniil Tarasov | 33 | 31 | 1905:40 | 13 | 15 | 3 | 97 | 3.05 | 925 | .895 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- †Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Panthers. Stats reflect time with the Panthers only.
- ‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Panthers only.
- Bold/italics denotes franchise record.
Transactions
The Panthers have been involved in the following transactions during the 2025–26 season.
Key:
† Contract is entry-level.
‡ Contract initially takes effect in the 2026–27 season.
Trades
| Date | Details | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2025 | To Chicago Blackhawks 7th-round pick in 2026 |
To Florida Panthers BOS 7th-round pick in 2025 (#197 overall) |
[106] |
| March 5, 2026 | To Minnesota Wild Jeff Petry |
To Florida Panthers conditional 5th-round pick in 2026 or 7th-round pick in 2026 |
[107] |
| March 6, 2026 | To Minnesota Wild Future considerations |
To Florida Panthers Vinnie Hinostroza |
[108] |
Players acquired
| Date | Player | Former team | Term | Via | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2025 | Brandon Bussi | Boston Bruins | 1-year | Free agency | [109] |
| Nolan Foote | New Jersey Devils | 1-year | Free agency | [110] | |
| Jeff Petry | Detroit Red Wings | 1-year | Free agency | [111] | |
| Jack Studnicka | Los Angeles Kings | 1-year | Free agency | [112] | |
| August 22, 2025 | Luke Kunin | Columbus Blue Jackets | 1-year | Free agency | [113] |
| October 3, 2025 | Cole Schwindt | Vegas Golden Knights | Waivers | [114] | |
| October 7, 2025 | Noah Gregor | San Jose Sharks | 1-year | Free agency | [115] |
| October 15, 2025 | Donovan Sebrango | Ottawa Senators | Waivers | [116] | |
| March 6, 2026 | Cole Reinhardt | Vegas Golden Knights | Waivers | [117] |
Players lost
| Date | Player | New team | Term | Via | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2025 | Rasmus Asplund | HC Davos (NL) | 2-year | Free agency | [118] |
| Kaapo Kahkonen | Montreal Canadiens | 1-year | Free agency | [119] | |
| Nate Schmidt | Utah Mammoth | 3-year | Free agency | [120] | |
| Nico Sturm | Minnesota Wild | 2-year | Free agency | [121] | |
| Vitek Vanecek | Utah Mammoth | 1-year | Free agency | [122] | |
| Jaycob Megna | Vegas Golden Knights | 2-year | Free agency | [123] | |
| July 2, 2025 | Matt Kiersted | Minnesota Wild | 2-year | Free agency | [124] |
| July 7, 2025 | Zac Dalpe | Retirement | [125] | ||
| October 5, 2025 | Brandon Bussi | Carolina Hurricanes | Waivers | [126] |
Signings
| Date | Player | Term | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2025 | Aaron Ekblad | 8-year | [127] |
| July 1, 2025 | Kirill Gerasimyuk | 2-year† | [128] |
| Brad Marchand | 6-year | [129] | |
| Tomáš Nosek | 1-year | [130] | |
| Daniil Tarasov | 1-year | [131] | |
| July 3, 2025 | MacKenzie Entwistle | 2-year | [132] |
| July 10, 2025 | Mackie Samoskevich | 1-year | [133] |
| July 14, 2025 | Tobias Björnfot | 1-year | [134] |
| Wilmer Skoog | 1-year | [135] | |
| August 14, 2025 | Mike Benning | 1-year | [136] |
| October 2, 2025 | Niko Mikkola | 8-year‡ | [137] |
| October 12, 2025 | Jonah Gadjovich | 2-year‡ | [138] |
| March 4, 2026 | Louis Domingue | 1-year | [139] |
Draft picks
Below are the Florida Panthers' selections at the 2025 NHL entry draft, which was held on June 27 and 28, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
| Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | Team (league) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 112[A] | Mads Kongsbak Klyvo | LW |  Denmark |
Frolunda HC J20 (J20 Nationell) |
| 128 | Shea Busch | LW |  Canada |
Everett Silvertips (WHL) | |
| 5 | 129[B] | Shamar Moses | RW | Canada |
North Bay Battalion (OHL) |
| 6 | 192 | Arvid Drott | RW |  Sweden |
Djurgardens IF J20 (J20 Nationell) |
| 7 | 197[C] | Brendan Dunphy | D |  United States |
Wenatchee Wild (WHL) |
| 224 | Yegor Midlak | G |  Russia |
JHC Spartak (MHL) |
Notes
- The Calgary Flames' fourth-round pick went to the Florida Panthers as the result of a trade on July 22, 2022, that sent Jonathan Huberdeau, Cole Schwindt, MacKenzie Weegar and a conditional first-round pick in 2025 to Calgary in exchange for Matthew Tkachuk and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[140] The condition – Florida will receive a fourth-round pick in 2025 if Calgary receives Florida's first-round pick in 2025[140] – was converted when the Panthers qualified for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs on April 5, 2025.
- The San Jose Sharks' fifth-round pick went to Florida as the result of a trade on July 1, 2023, that sent Anthony Duclair to San Jose in exchange for Steven Lorentz and this pick.[141]
- The Boston Bruins' seventh-round pick went to Florida as the result of a trade on June 28, 2025, that sent a sixth-round pick in 2026 to Chicago in exchange for this pick.[106]