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.

2024 Pre-Season #106, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #112, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #149, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #146.  Peak Period: 2019-20 & 22-24

Marlon Humphrey went to his fourth Pro Bowl last season, which showed that when he is on his game, he is among the best Corners in Football.  Humprhey has been inconsistent throughout his career, but he is a former Forced Fumble leader (8 in 2020), and goes into this campaign one Interception away from 20.  A Super Bowl and third First Team All-Pro will give him the Hall of Fame push that he looked to have years ago.

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 were not, and Smith and Chicago became 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, and his domination of the middle has continued the stellar reputation of the Baltimore defense.

He enters the 2025 season with a four-year streak of at least 150 Tackles and is on a Super Bowl contender.  A fourth First Team All-Pro and a ring will catapult his chances, and we won’t bet against the one-man heat-seeking missile.