NHL analyst opines on which teams are 'likely candidates' to stop a potential Panthers dynasty

The Florida Panthers have won the Stanley Cup in back-to-back years, and talk has already started about whether they can build a dynasty. With most of their roster still intact and many players signed for the long term, they look set to remain strong for a while.

NHL analyst James Mirtle of The Athletic shared his view on which teams could realistically stop them. He noted that while some young teams, such as New Jersey, Montreal, Utah and Ottawa, are showing progress, they may not yet be ready to beat the Florida Panthers in a playoff series.

“As for who could potentially challenge them in the years to come, that’s a great question,” Mirtle wrote in his Wednesday's mailbag. “We can see some new rising potential powers like New Jersey, the Montreal Canadiens, Utah Mammoth and Ottawa starting to show a bit of life, but actually beating a team like Florida in a best-of-seven feels a ways off.”

Mirtle pointed instead to the teams that have already proven themselves as contenders.

“That leaves us looking at the teams that have contended the past few years — the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers in the West, and Carolina, the Tampa Bay Lightning and (maybe) Toronto in the East — as the likely candidates,” he added.

The Dallas Stars finished third in the Western Conference last season, behind the Vegas Golden Knights, while the Colorado Avalanche came in fifth. Despite finishing worse than the Avalanche, Edmonton advanced to the Stanley Cup finals. For the second straight finals series, they have been the Panthers' opponents.

In the East, the Carolina Hurricanes finished fourth but made it to the conference finals, losing to the Panthers. The Tampa Bay Lightning were third, but they got eliminated in the first round by the Panthers. The Toronto Maple Leafs gave the most competition to the Panthers in the 2025 playoffs, taking the series to seven games.

For now, Florida remains the team to beat, but Mirtle believes the path will not be easy as other top contenders continue to push for their chance.

Matthew Tkachuk on Panthers’ long-term deals

On August 11, during a conversation with ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, Matthew Tkachuk discussed Panthers general manager Bill Zito’s move to secure long-term deals for Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad. He said it was not only about the deals but also about keeping friends and teammates together.

“As a player and more importantly as a friend, you’re more worried that one of your buddies is going to go elsewhere,” Tkachuk said.

Bennett signed for eight years, Marchand for six and Ekblad agreed to another eight. Tkachuk said he always expected Ekblad to stay, but was unsure about Bennett and Marchand. He credited Zito for making it possible and added he is excited to move forward with the same core group for another playoff run.