For the last 22 years (13 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 23rd annual review will appear here on DobberHockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are what I take into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

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Gone: Vitek Vanecek, Nate Schmidt, Nico Sturm, Jesse Puljujarvi, Kaapo Kahkonen, Jaycob Megna, Justin Sourdif, Rasmus Asplund

Incoming: Jeff Petry, Daniil Tarasov, Brandon Bussi, Jack Studnicka, Nolan Foote

Impact of Changes

If it ain't broke don't fix it. That was the motto in Florida this summer as the Panthers kept their 2025 Stanley Cup-winning roster intact for the most part. It was an offseason of long-term re-signings as Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad inked eight-year deals, while 37-year-old Brad Marchand got a six-year extension.

Even their most notable offseason roster changes were of little significance, affecting depth defense and backup goaltending. Although Nate Schmidt was better than Jeff Petry last year, Schmidt enjoyed a more sheltered role in Florida's bottom pair compared to the one that Petry held in Detroit's top four, so perhaps Petry will produce better results with less on his plate in Florida. In net, Vitek Vanecek only played seven games for the Panthers last year so his departure shouldn't have a huge impact. His replacement, 26-year-old Daniil Tarasov, produced mixed results in a limited sample with Columbus' questionable defense. Tarasov seems to have some untapped potential, which may be realized behind a strong, established blueline in Florida.  

The biggest offseason change for Florida may not be related to trades or free agency. Rather, it seems to be injury-related as rumours swirl that Matthew Tkachuk could miss months to start the season. Missing a player that paced for 90-110 points in recent years would take a decent bite out of Florida's offense, creating a vacancy in the team's top six and top power-play unit.

Ready for Full Time

A consequence of winning now is that you often have to mortgage the future. That seems to be the case for Florida, who doesn't really have any prospects knocking on the door for a fulltime NHL role this year. Justin Sourdif was one player in the organization who may have fit in this section, but the 23-year-old forward was traded to Washington ahead of the 2025 draft. While this section is normally for players that haven't yet held a fulltime NHL role, since no one in the Panthers organization meets our criteria, we'll bend the rules and discuss Florida's youngest player.

Mackie Samoskevich – The 22-year-old forward posted a respectable 35-point pace as a rookie last year. His average ice time for the season sat just over 13 minutes, but he benefitted from a bigger role after Tkachuk got injured at the 4-Nations Faceoff. From Feb 22^nd onwards, Samoskevich racked up 14 points in 24 games (a 47-point pace), averaging 16 and a half minutes per game while seeing 62% of Florida's total power-play time. If Tkachuk ends up missing the start of this season, Samoskevich could once again benefit from an increased role.

Fantasy Outlook

Winning a Stanley Cup requires a lot of talent, which is why you'll find many valuable fantasy assets on this Panthers roster. While that list would normally be headlined by Matthew Tkachuk, questions surrounding Tkachuk's health should reduce his fantasy value as he's very likely to miss a significant number of games this year.

With Tkachuk's injury concerns, Sam Reinhart seems like the most valuable Panther in fantasy leagues. Reinhart has broken a point-per-game pace in three of the last four years and has proven himself as one of the league's top goal-scorers in recent seasons. Next up among forwards is Aleksander Barkov, who has been reliable for roughly a 90-point pace floor over the last five years. However, Barkov lacks Reinhart's durability as he's hovered around 70 games played in each of the last four years. Both players have concrete power-play roles and strong track records of PP production as Florida has been good with the man advantage lately.

Carter Verhaeghe seems to be in a tier below Barkov and Reinhart because his PP role is less secure. He was limited by low shooting percentages last year and should be able to bounce back around a 65-point pace this year, but unreliable production on the man advantage limits his ceiling.

Although Sam Bennett excelled offensively in the playoffs, he's been a 50–55-point pace player during the regular season and should be evaluated as such this year as well. That said, he is valuable in multicategory leagues as someone that racks up hits, shots and faceoff wins. 23-year-old Anton Lundell is a strong player that often produces when thrust into an expanded role. Keep him on your radar if Barkov or Bennett go down with an injury. At 37 years of age an in a smaller role than he held in Boston, Brad Marchand doesn't have the fantasy impact that he once did. However, he could provide sneaky fantasy value if he ends up with more responsibility as a result of Tkachuk's likely absence. Perhaps flirting with a 60-point pace?

On the blueline, Seth Jones should have the most value as Florida's top power-play quarterback. That said, the Panthers' turned back the clock and ran two defensemen on PP1 in the playoffs, so Aaron Ekblad could also have strong value if that configuration continues this year. Although he doesn't get much time with the man advantage, Gustav Forsling has posted a 40-point pace in three of the last four years and should be able to post a similar rate this year.

In net, Sergei Bobrovsky remains a top fantasy option because of the strong team in front of him. However, he has a lot of miles under his belt and will be 37 at the start of this season, so it might not make sense to pay a premium price to get him on your fantasy roster this year. Daniil Tarasov has limited value as the team's backup but should be able to post a decent number of wins.

Fantasy Grade: A (Last year: A)