Defense Wins the Florida Panthers Championships

The Florida Panthers will be back on the ice in Fort Lauderdale soon with the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions depending on a hard-nosed and structured defensive identity that has carried them the past three years under coach Paul Maurice.

Since Maurice came to town in 2022 and changed the way the Panthers play, Florida has blended physicality, mobility, and transitional play which has, at times, suffocated their opponents.

Expect more of the same this season.

Florida’s blue line remains a strength with five of the six defensemen who suited up for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final all returning.

Only Nate Schmidt is gone, the veteran defenseman turning things around in his one season with the Panthers and parlaying that into a three-year contract with the Utah Mammoth.

Florida quickly replaced Schmidt with NHL veteran Jeff Petry.

Like Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Schmidt before him, Petry is looking for Stanley Cup glory — and to turn back the pages of time a little — with the Panthers.

Florida’s defensive strength on the blue line is at its core: The top four.

Gus Forsling and the newly re-upped Aaron Ekblad provide Florida with a powerful top pairing.

Forsling is an elite two-way player who is adept at moving the puck with fantastic closing speed which frustrates opponents in the offensive zone.

He and Ekblad make a terrific pair what with Ekblad still showing flashes of the offensive skill he grew up with as well as a strong, physical shutdown element.

Both Forsling and Ekblad log heavy minutes 5-on-5 as well as special teams.

Seth Jones came to the Panthers at last year’s trade deadline with Matthew Tkachuk on LTIR.

Jones, who turns 31 before Opening Night, was the fourth overall pick of the 2013 NHL Draft and came to the Panthers after a few disappointing seasons in Chicago.

With Ekblad suspended two games into Jones’ arrival with the Panthers, he had to adjust on the fly and take over many of Ekblad’s responsibilities.

A full training camp and settling in with partner Niko Mikkola should do wonders for Jones — who showed he should still be considered a top d-man in the NHL following a stellar postseason showing.

Jones has size, skates well, and could be Florida’s point man on the power play with a hard shot that gets through traffic.

Mikkola, meanwhile, remains one of the more underrated players on the Panthers.

At 6-6, Mikkola is a shot-blocking machine who is tough on the boards and can close in a hurry earning him the nickname ‘The Condor’ from Maurice.

Jones and Mikkola are a terror on teams trying to come through the neutral zone.

Florida’s third pairing could be one in flux this season and gives Maurice options.

You have Petry who is expected to play on the right side of veteran Dmitry Kulikov.

But Uvis Balinskis showed he is ready for primetime after filling in when Ekblad was suspended for the final 18 games of the regular season and then in four playoff games.

Florida, when inspired and on its game, is extremely hard to play against.

Even if you get through their defense, you have to contend with goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

Good luck.

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2024 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS 2025

FLORIDA PANTHERS

ON DECK

• NHL Free Agency: Opened June 1
• Panthers Rookie Camp, Fort Lauderdale IcePlex: September 11
• Prospect Showcase @ Tampa Bay Lightning: Starts September 12, Wesley Chapel
• Training Camp: Mid-September
• Exhibition Games: Starts Sept. 21 @ Nashville (doubleheader)
• Championship Ring Celebration: Oct. 6; Time/Site TBA
• Opening Night: Oct 7 vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 5 p.m.
• Complete Florida Panthers 2025-26 Schedule