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The Florida Panthers came up short in the Stanley Cup Final. Now the roster will look different in the 2023-24 season as these three players won’t be back.
Just like that, it’s over for the Florida Panthers. Yes, this was a playoff run for the ages. They stunned the record-setting Boston Bruins. They upset the high-octane Toronto Maple Leafs. They swept the powerhouse Carolina Hurricanes. They won a Stanley Cup Final contest, which was new territory for the franchise.
But on Tuesday, Florida lost to Vegas, 9-3, in Game 5. The Golden Knights won the series 4-1, clinching their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Now, still yearning for a Cup of their own, Florida heads into an intriguing offseason.
The Panthers don’t have any first-round draft picks until 2026 due to the Mathew Tkachuk trade. They may seek one through exchange to use in the upcoming draft. However, they wouldn’t want to trade away players integral to their future success, even if they didn’t win the Stanley Cup this season.
For instance, they might consider trading Sam Bennett or Sam Reinhart if GM Bill Zieto determines that doing so would benefit them in the long run. Even with this, most core players, such as Aleksander Barkov, Tkachuk, Aaron Ekblad, and Spencer Knight, are signed for several years, so he won’t entertain trading them.
The team is open to re-signing Radko Gudas. He’s established himself as one of the hardest-working defensemen in the NHL. Meanwhile, players like Luostarinen and Montour are unlikely to be traded.
But some aren’t. For some, Game 5 was likely the last time they wore a Florida Panthers sweater. Let’s look at least three who fall into that department.