Florida Panthers bold predictions for 2024-25 NHL season

The Florida Panthers are still reveling in the glory of their first-ever Stanley Cup championship, a thrilling seven-game series victory over the Edmonton Oilers. After winning the first three games, disaster nearly struck as they dropped the next three, but they ultimately secured the title with a Game 7 win on home ice. With the 2024-25 NHL season now approaching, it’s time to make some bold Panthers predictions as they aim to repeat.

As always happens with the annual champs, the Panthers team that hits the ice next month will be looking considerably different than the team that skated off the ice with the Stanley Cup in June. Gone are the likes of Vladimir Tarasenko, Brandon Montour, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Anthony Stolarz, Nick Cousins, and Ryan Lomberg.

Meanwhile, new arrivals Nate Schmidt, Tomas Nosek, Adam Boqvist, and his older brother Jesper Boqvist are joining the Panthers. While the losses from last year’s roster are significant, they likely won’t be enough to keep Florida from qualifying for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. But the question remains: are they still legitimate Cup contenders?

The Panthers open the new season on October 8 at Amerant Bank Arena against their rivals, the Boston Bruins. On that night, they will raise their 2024 Stanley Cup championship banner to the rafters, with the coveted trophy back in the building for one final celebration. But once the puck drops, Florida will embark on their first campaign as defending champions. Let’s dive into some bold Panthers predictions for the 2024-25 NHL season.

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Sam Reinhart won’t come close to his previous goal output

Forward Sam Reinhart had a career season in 2023-24, coinciding with the final year of his contract as he aimed to turn his on-ice success into a more lucrative, long-term deal. Reinhart scored an impressive 57 goals during the regular season and added another 10 during postseason play, including the game-winner in Game 7.

Reinhart wasn’t on the open market for long, signing a $69 million extension that keeps him with the Panthers for the next eight seasons. But now that he’s lifted the Cup and secured a deal that sets him up financially for life, can fans realistically expect him to eclipse the 50-goal mark again? The odds aren’t exactly in his favor for a repeat performance.

As a matter of fact, ESPN included Reinhart in their list of players most likely to regress from last season’s performance, writing:

“Buoyed by a completely unsustainable 24.5 shooting percentage — well above his previous career-best mark of 19.2 percent — Reinhart scored 57 goals (and 94 points) in 82 games last season,” they wrote. “The number placed him second in the NHL behind only Toronto’s Auston Matthews. With no choice but to pay up following his career year and a Stanley Cup championship, Florida inked Reinhart to an eight-year, $69 million deal following the season. Reinhart is an excellent player on one of the NHL’s best teams, but perhaps no player in the league is at greater risk of burning fantasy managers this coming fall. Don’t overpay on draft day.”

Sergei Bobrovsky begins to decline again

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has put a ton of mileage on his wheels the last two seasons, having played deep into the postseason with back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances.

It wasn’t terribly long ago that Bobrovsky’s contract with the Panthers which he inked in 2019 was seen as one of the larger albatrosses in the NHL, and there was rumored discussion about Florida considering buying out the remaining years on the deal to get out from under it. However, things changed with Bobrovsky’s stellar play in the 2023 postseason, followed by an equally impressive 2023-24 campaign that was capped with the Stanley Cup.

As the saying goes, Father Time is undefeated. The Panthers are notably weaker after several offseason departures, including two key defensemen in Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The big question is how much longer Sergei Bobrovsky can maintain his high level of play, especially after reaching the pinnacle of his career by lifting the Stanley Cup.

Matthew Tkachuk will miss time with injury

The trade that brought Matthew Tkachuk to the Panthers from the Calgary Flames, in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar, stands as one of the best in franchise history. The results for both teams have been strikingly opposite: Tkachuk has led the Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances and a championship, while Huberdeau has experienced a staggering decline in offensive production.

Tkachuk’s signature rough style of play leaves him more vulnerable to injury, as seen during the 2023 Cup Final when he suffered a broken sternum that left him unable to get out of bed without assistance. Players who rely on such a physical approach have often seen their effectiveness decline over time, as was the case with former Philadelphia Flyers captain Mike Richards.

Don’t be surprised to see Tkachuk eventually land on the shelf at some point this season thanks to the physicality he both dishes out and receives.

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