Stanley Cup today, dynasty tomorrow? 3 reasons Florida Panthers' run might only be beginning

On Tuesday, the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers to become just the ninth team in NHL history to go back-to-back as Stanley Cup champions.

As the old saying goes, staying atop the mountain is harder than reaching it. However, there are several reasons to believe that Florida is in a dynasty era.

Three reasons the Florida Panthers' run is just beginning

NHL: Stanley Cup Final-Edmonton Oilers at Florida Panthers - Source: Imagn

#1: Players still under contract next season

While Florida will have some players hitting unrestricted free agency, a large chunk of its core roster is under contract for several more years.

Aleksander Barkov, Anton Lundell and Matthew Tkachuk are all under contract for the next five seasons, while Gustav Forsling and Sam Reinhart have seven years left on their deals.

With Sergei Bobrovsky returning next season, the Panthers would likely compete for the title again in 2026.

Syndication: Palm Beach Post - Source: Imagn

#2: General manager Bill Zito

Having Bill Zito at the helm may arguably be the biggest reason why the Panthers are in a dynasty era. After assembling a Stanley Cup team last season, he successfully navigated the loss of players like Vladimir Tarasenko, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Brandon Montour.

As Zito showed this season with the acquisition of Brad Marchand, he's always looking for moves that can best-position the team for a Cup run.

While Marchand may wind up parting ways with the franchise this summer, he played an invaluable role in the Panthers' Stanley Cup win. As the team looks to become just the fourth in NHL history to three-peat, with Zito at the helm, the future looks bright.

#3: Paul Maurice and the winning culture he's established

While Bill Zito handles things behind the scenes, Paul Maurice's coaching has been invaluable throughout the team's Stanley Cup runs.

Zito praised the team's culture at the trade deadline.

"If you came to our room this morning, you wouldn’t be able to tell who the new guys were," Zito said, via NHL.com. "I think that says everything.”

With back-to-back titles, whatever Maurice is doing to establish a best-in-class culture is working.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez