In the 2017-18 Season, it felt like Evgenii Dadonov came out of nowhere, but the reality was that he had already been a Panther.

The Right Wing was a Third Rounder in 2007, and he would play 55 Games for Florida, though mostly he was in the minors.  He was traded to Carolina, but he never played for the Hurricanes, just their minor league team.  He returned to Russia and played in the KHL, where his skills improved. Without any affiliation with an NHL team, he was signed back to the Panthers for the 2017-18 Season.

In his return season, Dadonov scored 65 Points, erasing the memories of his play in Florida before, that is, for those who remembered his first run.  Dadonov had an even better 2018-19, posting a career-best 70 Points and equalling his 28 Goals.  He had 25 Goals in 2019-20, though his Assists plummeted to nearly half of what he had.  

This was it for Dadonov as a Panther, as he signed with Ottawa as a Free Agent.  He would score 202 Points for Florida.

Twice an All-Star with the Coyotes, Keith Yandle was dealt to the Florida Panthers after his second team, the New York Rangers, were concerned that they would not be able to re-sign the Defenseman when his contract expired after the season.  It worked out well for the Panthers, as they only gave up two middle-round picks, and they re-signed him for four more years.

An offensively gifted blueliner, Yandle became the top Defenseman instantly as soon as he donned Florida gear.  Yandle was not just a good hockey player; he became a modern ironman, setting the record for the most consecutive games played by a Defenseman.  He would score at least 40 Points in his first four years with the Panthers, with a 56-Point year in 2017-18, followed by a career-best 62 Points the year after.

An All-Star in 2019, Yandle joined Philadelphia as a Free Agent, but not before scoring 201 Points in 371 Games with Florida.

2025 Pre-Season Rank #39, 2024 Pre-Season Rank #62, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #92, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #133, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #146.  Peak Period: 2020-24

Smith was a Second-Team All-Pro for two years in a row (2020-21), but as good as he was, the Bears weren’t, and Smith and Chicago grew disenchanted with each other. Chicago traded Smith to the Ravens during the season, and it started the best run of his career. 

In the year he was traded (2022), Smith had career highs in Combined Tackles (169) and Solo Tackles (103), and was rewarded with his First Team All-Pro.  Smith has since followed that with his second and third First Team All-Pro selections, and his domination in the middle has continued the Baltimore defense's stellar reputation.

Last season, the streak of at least First Team All-Pro selections and 150 Combined Tackles ended, but he was a Pro Bowl selection for the fourth straight year.  His “down year” is still a dream season for most Middle Linebackers, and there is no reason to think that he won’t be one of the best MLBs in 2026. 

Pre-Season Rank #27, 2024 Pre-Season Rank #40, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #57, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #107, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #143. Peak Period 2017-18/2022-24

When you are on the same Offensive Line as Jason Kelce, you fall easily into the shadows.  As Kelce’s teammate, Johnson won a Super Bowl, went to five Pro Bowls (2017-19 & 2022-23), and was twice a First Team All-Pro, cementing him as one of the top Tackles in Football.  Following Kelce’s retirement in 2023, Johnson accomplished something that Kelce could not do: win a second Super Bowl.  That occurred in 2024, when Johnson added Pro Bowl number six.  How much does Johnson’s legacy increase if Philadelphia wins it all again this year?