The Amerant Bank Arena has seen the most incredible ending to the NHL season for the second season running. The Florida Panthers have made it a habit to win the Stanley Cup in front of their fans. It was June 17 that the Cats wrapped up their 2024-25 season in the most emphatic fashion. Well, after a wait of over 3 months, hockey is finally coming back to Fort Lauderdale.
Still, nine days remain before the first regular-season game of the 2025-26 campaign, which means it’s the preseason where the Panthers will get things sorted out. This time, the Florida team has personnel issues that need sorting, especially with their injury crisis. Amid the team’s growing injury list, NHL insider Jameson Olive has shared the latest update from Panthers camp. His tweet on September 28 read, “Panthers will role w/ a lineup featuring half veterans, half youngsters tomorrow vs. Carolina, per Maurice.”
Continuing the tweet, he wrote, “Plan is then to go very young vs. the Lightning in Orlando, and then have close to a full lineup for the final two preseason games.” That sounds like a foolproof plan. The Panthers have already played one preseason game, against the Hurricanes at the Lenovo Center. None of the big names were present for the game, but we hope to see some faces on September 29.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
In the previous September 24 game against the Hurricanes, we did see some youngsters take the ice, like defensemen Marek Alscher and Tobias Björnfot. 20-year-old Gracyn Sawchyn started at center, making it quite an experimental team for the first game of the preseason. After the initial hiccup, the Panthers got back to business as usual.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
In fact, new free agent signing Jack Studnicka netted the fourth goal while 23-year-old Mike Benning scored the winner. The new names stepped up, and we hope to see more from them. More importantly, we look forward to how they integrate with the main roster guys because that seamless transition has been the strength of the Florida Panthers.
A blend of youth and experience could work wonders for the Panthers heading to the 2025-26 season. Moreover, the Panthers need it, especially in the forward line, with significant absentees. Hopefully, their injury crisis won’t derail the upcoming season.
Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports
Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports
The Florida Panthers’ new season comes with massive injury challenges
The avid Panthers fans already know they are looking at a significant chunk of the regular season without Matthew Tkachuk. Having an adductor muscle tear and a sports hernia, the Panthers’ alternate captain has been on stand-by with everybody awaiting his next step. Surgery had been in the plans, with a return to the ice planned during Christmas. But that was about a month ago.
As of now, we don’t know what the situation is. Head coach Paul Maurice just had the message that they are ready to go out there and get the job done without Matthew Tkachuk. “We have to learn to win hockey games without good players. But if that’s the adversity or the test that we face this year, then that’s what we’re gonna do … If he’s not in the lineup on opening night, or if he misses an exhibition game, or if he’s out long-term, it’s just not gonna affect that day. We gotta win the hockey game. We got a prep for it.”
That mentality will surely help in dealing with Aleksander Barkov’s absence. The Florida Panthers captain has suffered ACL and MCL injuries, with surgery already done as of September 27. The typical recovery timeline is 7 to 9 months, so they are looking at a season without Barkov’s two-way efficiency.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
And that’s not all, at least not when the immediate pre-season is concerned. It seems center Evan Rodrigues is a scratch for the September 29 game. Jameson Olive tweeted, “Rodrigues left practice early today for precautionary reasons, but still might not play vs. Carolina tomorrow.” However, it doesn’t seem to be serious. “If it was a regular season game, he’d play,” Maurice said, according to the tweet.