The expectation is that the Florida Panthers will come back to their Stanley Cup-winning form in 2026-27.
However, the pundits aren’t quite so optimistic about it.
In a recent column published on Casino.org, insider Frank Servalli expressed his skepticism regarding The Cats’ ability to come back and be a solid playoff team this season.
In particular, Seravalli pointed towards the return of captain Aleksander Barkov as a potential pain point.
“Skepticism is growing regarding Florida’s health and age profile. As one anonymous NHL GM noted: ‘I know everyone expects Sasha Barkov to bounce back, but people forget it often takes a full 18 months for a player coming off an ACL tear to return to form. It’s rarely immediate.’”
Indeed, there is a clear point here. Florida isn’t getting any younger, and, well, injuries are beginning to take their toll on the top-heavy, veteran roster.
As such, Servalli believes that the Panthers surpassing 108 points this season, potentially the total needed to lock down a playoff spot n the Atlantic Division, is doable, but leaves the team with very little margin for error.
“While Florida’s high-end forward group remains stacked, hitting 108 or more points leaves virtually zero margin for error—and major red flags are already piling up.”
Considering that Brad Marchand is another high-profile veteran who could be out of the lineup due to offseason surgery, and the loss of main supporting characters like AJ Greer and Evan Rodrigues, things could look dicey for the Panthers.
But there’s one other interesting point that could drive Florida’s chances down.
Panthers Have League’s Worst Goaltending Tandem
Another interesting point to support Servalli’s assertions is an opinion voiced by an anonymous NHL goalie coach.
According to the coach in question, the Panthers have the worst tandem in the league.
“My hot take is Florida has the worst goaltending tandem in the league, and the Canadiens have the best in the division.”
When comparing the Jacob Markstrom-Akira Schmid tandem to the Jakub Dobes-Jacob Fowler duo in Montreal, the difference is night and day. The Panthers are banking on Markstrom, who washed out in New Jersey, suddenly coming back to his once-starting-goalie form. Meanwhile, Schmid became an afterthought in Vegas after the Golden Knights signed Carter Hart last season.
All told, it looks like The Cats may not have much runway to compete in the stacked Atlantic Division.
Florida May Be Asking Too Much from Its Banged-Up Roster
All told, Servalli concluded that the Panthers may not have the legs to make it very far this season. He concluded by stating that a 10-point increase at this juncture may be too much for the team.
“Remember, during their 2024-25 Cup-winning campaign, Florida finished with just 98 regular-season points. Expecting a 10-point leap from an aging, banged-up roster is a stretch.”
The statement is not to say that the Panthers can’t make the playoffs. What the statement implies is that it may be too much to expect Florida to make another magical playoff run that could culminate in another championship.
Yes, The Cats have a solid core that can pull it off. But there are just too many red flags to ignore.
Panthers Have Little Room for Error After 2025-26 Collapse