Just In: Highly Conflicting As Two Panthers in danger of regression in 2024-25 season
Will the Panthers be able to repeat as Stanley Cup champs?
The Florida Panthers are still celebrating their historic first Stanley Cup win, clinched after an exciting seven-game series against the Edmonton Oilers this past spring.
Following playoff victories over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers, the Panthers took a dominant 3-0 lead against the Oilers, looking like they might achieve the first Cup Final sweep since 1998. However, the Oilers staged a comeback, leveling the series and forcing a decisive Game 7 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.
In a tense finish, Florida secured a 2-1 victory, with the outcome decided in the final seconds, leading to a summer-long celebration in the Sunshine State. Now, for the first time, the Panthers will start a season as defending Stanley Cup champions—but their chances of repeating may be hindered by the loss of several key players.
Can the remaining talent carry the Panthers back to the playoffs and possibly secure a second consecutive title? It will be a tough task, especially since some players may not replicate their performances from last season.
One key player, Sam Reinhart, has been a reliable offensive contributor since joining from the Buffalo Sabres in 2021, having an impressive breakout season with 57 goals in 2023-24. This coincided with his contract negotiations, as he became a free agent in July.
Fortunately for the Panthers, they managed to re-sign Reinhart to an eight-year, $ 69 million deal that keeps him with the team through the 2031-32 NHL season. Panthers executive Bill Zito emphasized the importance of this move, stating in a press release:
“Since coming to South Florida, Sam has shown his ability to be a significant scoring threat while also excelling defensively. His versatility and value as a player are matched only by his exceptional character and work ethic. We’re thrilled to have him continue with us.”
Reinhart nearly doubled his goal total to 64 in the 2023-24 season compared to the previous two years combined, but it’s worth noting that it was a contract year. ESPN has pointed out that Reinhart is one of the players most at risk of a drop in production due to an unsustainable shooting percentage of 24.5%, significantly higher than his previous best of 19.2%. They caution that while Reinhart is a strong player on one of the NHL’s best teams, fantasy managers should be wary when drafting him this fall.
Will Sergei Bobrovsky continue his renaissance?
After several successful years with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he became one of the NHL’s top goaltenders, Bobrovsky signed a substantial contract with the Panthers in the 2019 offseason, making him the highest-paid goalie in the league.
However, his performance soon led to the contract being seen as a significant liability, with talks of the Panthers possibly buying out the remaining years of his deal until he made a dramatic comeback during the 2023 postseason.
Initially starting the playoffs on the bench, Bobrovsky replaced Alex Lyon in goal and guided the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final. Although they lost in the championship series, he had an impressive regular season in 2023-24, finishing with a record of 36-17-4, a 2.37 goals-against average, and six shutouts.
As you know, he celebrated winning the Stanley Cup with his teammates after their thrilling seven-game victory over the Edmonton Oilers this spring. However, at 35 years old, the question remains whether Bobrovsky can continue performing at a high level, especially after reaching the pinnacle of his career. With Father Time undefeated and the Panthers gearing up to defend their title in a tough Atlantic Division, he may begin to see a decline in his performance stats.