Top 50 Florida Panthers
South Beach may have taken over the Basketball world for a spell, but there was a brief time in 1996 when an upstart expansion team made the Stanley Cup Finals and almost shocked the world of hockey by winning the entire thing.The Florida Panthers did not win the Cup, but hockey historians still remember their achievements in such a short time, and this should be celebrated.
After that brief run near the top, the Panthers faltered. By the late 2010s, they were building a powerful team, and in 2024, they returned to the Stanley Cup Finals. This time, the result was different, as they defeated the Edmonton Oilers. The season after was a repeat, with Florida again besting the Oilers, and winning their second straight Cup.
Note: Hockey lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and postseason accolades.
This list is up to the end of the 2024-25 Season.
From Finland, Aleksander Barkov had lofty expectations coming in as the number two overall pick in 2013. It is safe to say that the Panthers obtained a player who came as advertised.Barkov saw ample playing time as a rookie, but Florida made sure to ease the Center into action. He…
After his rookie year with the New York Islanders, Roberto Luongo was traded to the Florida Panthers with Olli Jokinen in what can be best described as one of the most lopsided trades in favor of the Panthers in their history. Luongo played more in his first two years in…
The winner of the Calder Trophy in 2013, Jonathan Huberdeau, would not only become the prime offensive weapon for the Florida Panthers, but also one of the premier Left Wingers in Hockey.Huberdeau, who was a former Third Overall Pick (2011), had back-to-back 50 Point seasons (2014-15 & 2015-16) and likely…
Aaron Ekblad did as much as you could ask for in his rookie year, as the number one pick from the Barrie Colts scored 39 Points and won the Calder Trophy. Ekblad never slowed down, showing exemplary two-way hockey and a healthy Plus/Minus on a team that for the most…
Can it be argued that the first pick of the Florida Panthers' Expansion draft could not have gone any better?
Playing for the Florida Panthers for 8 of his 9 NHL seasons, blueliner Robert Svehla is, as of this writing, without question one of the greatest Defenseman in Panthers history. The Slovakian star represented Florida in the 1997 All-Star Game and had four seasons where he exceeded 40 Points. He was…
Pavel Bure may not be ranked #1 on this list of all-time Florida Panthers, but there is a case to be made for him, isn’t there?
Second-generation hockey player (his father was Defenseman Paul Reinhart), Sam Reinhart had quality seasons in Buffalo, where he scored at least 20 Goals five times. Still, when he was traded to Florida, he took his career (and his new team) to the next level. Reinhart broke 30 Goals in each…
A two-time Vezina winner with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Russian-born Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky signed with Florida as a Free Agent, with the Panthers believing that he was the missing piece of the puzzle. Bobrovsky’s Florida career did not start off with a bang, as his 3.23 GAA in his debut…
The very respected Scott Mellanby has an essential place in Florida Panthers folklore. It was the rigged Right Winger who scored the first goal in franchise history, and it was there where the “Rat Trick” was born. In the locker room, Mellanby killed a rat with his hockey stick and…
Olli Jokinen is known for having gone the longest in NHL history before tasting the NHL playoffs. That stint largely took place when he was with the Florida Panthers, his longest-tenured team by far over his career. During his first two seasons in South Beach, he wasn’t helping the team…
The Calgary Flames were informed by their top Wing, Matthew Tkachuk, that he had no interest in resigning to a long-term deal. They found a quick suitor in Florida, who gave up a lot to get the forward. In the brief time we are looking at Tkachuk's tenure in Florida,…
Gustav Forsling was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks, but the Chicago Blackhawks were the first to sign him, as his rights were traded to the Windy City. The Swedish Defenseman played three years for Chicago before he was again traded, this time to Carolina, where he never played. When the Hurricanes waived…
In his first season as a Florida Panther (2011-12), Brian Campbell made history as the first Defenseman in over 50 seasons to win the Lady Byng Trophy. Campbell scored over 50 Points that campaign and would receive Norris Trophy votes in three of his five seasons as a Panther. Campbell…
One of the best pure skaters in the game, Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester has the ability to cause damage on the offensive rush as good as anyone. Drafted 3rd Overall in the 2002 Draft, Bouwmeester played his first seven seasons of his career with the Florida Panthers. Bouwmeester would eclipse 40 Points…
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…
Carter Verhaeghe was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs, but was traded to the New York Islanders before he made the NHL. He never played for the Isles either, as he was dealt to Tampa, where he won an AHL scoring title, and made it to the Lightning roster in…
From Russia, Dmitry Kulikov is a well-traveled defenceman whose shutdown skills would always find a home in the NHL. Drafted 14th Overall in 2009, Kulikov debuted for the Panthers while still a teenager, and found solid time at the blue line over the next few seasons, peaking with a 28-Point output…
A somewhat unheralded player due to his lengthy time in Florida, Stephen Weiss still holds (as of this writing) the franchise record for Assists and Games Played. Weiss actually played 637 Games with the Panthers before he finally played in his first postseason game. He would score over 60 points…
Arriving from the Philadelphia Flyers via the Expansion Draft, Gord Murphy brought a steady blue line presence to the Florida Panthers. Murphy was never an All-Star, but he was the type of player who elevated the game of those around him and was a big part of the Panthers' first…