2017-18 record: 44-30-8 (96 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: Derek McKenzie
The Florida Panthers overcame a mess of a 2016-17 season, a complete makeover (again) in the off-season, a slow start, and tragedy in their own backyard to make a furious push for a playoff spot. In the end, it did not work, but the momentum they had should carry over into this season. The question is whether they truly are ready to take the next step.
The Panthers finished in the middle of the pack offensively, and despite losing both Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith to Vegas the previous off-season, the Panthers still have some nice offensive punch thanks to the breakthrough season of Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trocheck. They also got nice contributions from Evgeni Dadonov and Jonathan Huberdeau, though the latter still has yet to play a full season thanks to injuries. Continued production from this group plus a revived Aaron Ekblad will be a factor in the team's chances. Defensively, their 18th ranked group was a reflection of the team's struggles early on, punctuated by the fact that Roberto Luongo missed time to injuries and James Reimer was merely ordinary. In front of the duo, Ekblad's return to better numbers was key to the team playing well. He is the leader of the defense, and when he plays well, so does the rest of the team.
Prediction: 4th in the Atlantic Division
The Panthers hope to ride the momentum of late last season into this one, as the sting of missing out on the playoffs by tie-breaker will be fresh in their minds. In a relatively weak Eastern Conference, the Panthers should be able to make the playoffs if they can avoid injuries and a slow start.
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