Alan Greenberg, FHN Sr. Writer
It is unfortunate that the NHL teams from the Western Conference teams only get to Sunrise once a season — and their Stanley Cup playoff games last into the wee hours.
Other than the Edmonton Oilers, with whom Panthers’ fans are quite familiar, the folks in South Florida really do not get to know some of the star players out west.
With McDavid, Draisaitl & Co. gone and the West down to four teams, there are still a lot of outstanding players still in the hunt for the Stanley Cup.
Colorado is certainly one of the favorites to succeed Florida as custodian of the Stanley Cup.
The Avalanche are the Presidents’ Trophy winners and the regular-season leader in both goals for and fewest goals against.
The unquestionable superstar of that team is Nathan MacKinnon, who topped the NHL with 53 goals this season. He won the Hart trophy as Most Valuable Player in 2024 and is a probable candidate this season.
MacKinnon was the Number 1 draft pick in 2013, the year the Panthers selected Sasha Barkov right behind him.
An explosive scorer, MacKinnon may just be one of the most exciting players to watch in the NHL.
Gabriel Landeskog has been slowed by injuries but is still a force. He was the second overall draft pick in 2011, right behind Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Cale Makar is one of the league’s premier defensemen and always an offensive threat. He was the fourth overall pick in 2014 and came to the Avs after two successful seasons at UMass.
He is a two-time James Norris Memorial Trophy winner as the league’s top defenseman and is a finalist this season. He scored 20 or more goals in four of his seven NHL seasons.
Makar and Devon Toews are one of the top defensive duos in the league.
Goalie Scott Wedgewood has never been a household name but had two outstanding seasons in Colorado and has reeled off six straight playoff wins.
Let’s not overlook 41-year-old defender Brent Burns who is seeking his first Stanley Cup in his 21st NHL season. He is the current active ironman at 1,007 regular season games.
Minnesota’s superstar is Kirill Kaprizov, a relative unknown in the East but he is a guy who scored 40 or more goals in four of his six NHL seasons. He is deadly on the power play, with 19 PP goals in the regular season.
When defenseman Quinn Hughes came to Minnesota in a trade with Vancouver during the season, it made the Wild a true contender. Hughes, a former Norris Trophy winner, is a two-way threat and Olympic hero.
Kaprizov and Hughes lead all playoff scorers with 11 points.
Matt Boldy is a budding star. He has scored six goals so far in the playoffs to tie for the lead.
Another player to watch is former Panther, Cup winner Vladimir Tarasenko. He is past his superstar prime but still can score the big goals, as he proved with Florida — and is doing with the Wild this postseason.
The Vegas-Anaheim series has its fair share of bright lights.
Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner are the top guns for Vegas. Both were acquired via unique trades from Buffalo and Toronto respectively. The two are Vegas playoff scoring leaders.
Veteran Ivan Barbashev has quietly reached star status as has Pavel Dorofeyev.
Dorofeyev finished second this season to Dallas’ Wyatt Johnsonwith 20 power play goals.
Mark Stone is a crusty veteran who can still score the key goal.
On defense, Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin are offensive threats. Theodore and Brayden McNabb are original Knights who still get the job done.
Carter Hart has returned to the NHL after a two-year suspension and has surprisingly emerged as the No. 1 goalie.
Anaheim was a surprise playoff qualifier and an even bigger surprise as the winner of the series with Edmonton.
The team is a mix of bright young stars like Troy Terry and crafty veterans like Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba, John Carlson, and Radko Gudas.
Jackson LaCombe is a young puck-moving defender who leads the Ducks in playoff scoring and is second only to Quinn Hughes in playoff scoring by defensemen.
Cutter Gauthier, at age 22, led the Ducks in regular season scoring, with 41 goals and 69 points. He was the fifth overall draft pick in 2022 by Philadelphia and was subsequently traded to Anaheim.
While in Philadelphia, Vegas coach John Tortorella basically said he could pick out Gauthier out of a lineup. Bet he can now.
Center Leo Carlsson was the second overall draft pick in 2023 and has not disappointed. He was immediately ready for the NHL and improved in each of his three seasons.
Winger Beckett Sennecke is a finalist for the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year.
Under new coach Joel Quenneville, Anaheim ended its seven-year playoff drought. With their youngsters, the Ducks look like they could be a force for years to come.
These are the stars but as everyone knows from past playoff history, anyone can become an instant hero.
ON DECK: FLORIDA PANTHERS OFFSEASON
- IIHF World Championship, Switzerland: May 15-31
- NHL Draft (9th in First Round, Seven Overall): June 26-27; KeyBank Center, Buffalo
- NHL Free Agency: Opens July 1
- Panthers Development Camp: Late June/Early July; IcePlex, Fort Lauderdale
- Panthers Rookie Camp/Tournament: Late August/Early Sept.; Site TBA
- Panthers Training Camp: Early/Mid September; Fort Lauderdale
- 2026-27 NHL Season Opens: Late September; Site, Opponent TBA