Entering last season, 11 current NHL franchises had never won a Stanley Cup championship.
Thanks to the Florida Panthers’ triumphant 2023-24 season, that list is down to 10.
On Tuesday night, the Panthers will raise their Stanley Cup banner to the rafters and begin their title defense against the Boston Bruins in Sunrise, Fla. It will be the season opener for both teams.
Boston has won five straight season openers, which is tied with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Vegas Golden Knights for the NHL’s longest active streak.
The Bruins have earned more than 100 points in each of the past three seasons but have not advanced past the second round during that span.
Further, Florida eliminated Boston each of the past two years, but that has not shaken the Bruins’ confidence.
“If we’re healthy, we’re Cup contenders,” Bruins president Cam Neely said. “I strongly believe that. I think our players believe that, and I know our coaches believe that.
“I think we’re going to defend extremely well. Are we going to get the offense we’d like? That remains to be seen. We need some guys to step up offensively.”
One of those guys is captain Brad Marchand, who needs one goal to tie Rick Middleton for fourth place in Bruins history with 402. Johnny Bucyk (545), Phil Esposito (459) and Patrice Bergeron (427) occupy the top three spots.
Boston made a splash this offseason, adding free agent center Elias Lindholm (seven years, $54.25 million) and free agent defenseman Nikita Zadorov (six years, $30 million).
The Panthers are led by winger Matthew Tkachuk and center Aleksander Barkov, who each had 22 points in Florida’s 24 playoff games last season.
Barkov is the franchise leader in career games (737), goals (266), assists (445) and points (711). But it’s not just Tkachuk (88 points last season) and Barkov (80) — the Panthers have brought back their top eight point-scorers.
Defenseman Brandon Montour, who finished ninth on that list, signed with Seattle on a seven-year, $49.98 million contract.
Still, the Panthers return veteran defensemen Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, Dmitry Kulikov and Niko Mikkola.
Forsling led Panthers defensemen with 39 points and topped the league with a plus-56 rating.
Among the forwards, Sam Reinhart (57 goals), Carter Verhaeghe (34) and Sam Bennett (20) also return. Reinhart was first on the team in goals; Verhaeghe was second.
Between the pipes, starter Sergei Bobrovsky returns but standout backup Anthony Stolarz signed a two-year, $5 million contract with Toronto. Bobrovsky is coming off a strong season, finishing 36-17-4 with a 2.37 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
Against the Bruins in his career, Bobrovsky is 4-11-4 with a 3.62 GAA and an .891 save percentage in 21 appearances.
The new backup goalie is Spencer Knight, Florida’s first-round pick in 2019. Knight, 23, has played 57 NHL games and has a 2.91 GAA.
However, he hasn’t played an NHL game in 20 months and spent time in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program last year to receive help for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
“I’m looking forward to this season,” Knight said. “I just want to play free — not think so much. I’m having fun at practice.”
As for Boston’s goalie situation, Jeremy Swayman ended a holdout and signed an eight-year, $66 million deal on Sunday.
Swayman, a 25-year-old Alaska native, was a first-time All-Star last season as he went 25-10-8 with a 2.53 GAA and a .916 save percentage. In three career games against the Panthers, he is 1-1-1 with a 3.69 GAA and an .875 percentage.
The Bruins have backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo available if Swayman is not yet ready to play Tuesday.
–Field Level Media