Florida Panthers: 3 key players for next season

Despite losing key players in the expansion draft, the Florida Panthers are still poised to make a splash this upcoming season. That is if these three players step up and put up solid numbers.

The All-Star break flipped a switch in the Florida Panthers that made them electric. They had a 25-8-2 record after that point, but due to a slow start, they missed the wild card spot by a single point.

This team heavily relied upon their first line of Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, and Evgeni Dadonov. Barkov alone averaged over 22 minutes a night, playing in every situation imaginable and was a big reason in their late playoff push.

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If they wish to build on last season’s success, they will need these three players to continue their dominance.

3. Roberto Luongo

Despite being 39 years old, Roberto Luongo is still going strong. He played 35 games last season because of a groin injury but still had an 18-11-2 record, a .929 sv%, and a 2.47 goals against average. He’s still got it.

If the Panthers want to go on the playoff hunt, they will need Luongo to continue his dominance and stay healthy.

2. Mike Hoffman

This summer, Mike Hoffman got traded from the Ottawa Senators to the San Jose Sharks, and then straight to Florida. The past few months have been a turbulent time in his life and the way he responds to a new team will be crucial for the Panthers.

In his past three seasons with Ottawa, he has put up more than 50 points each time (59/61/56). He is projected to play on the second line with Vincent Trochek and if he can continue to put up the numbers, then Florida’s depth just grew tenfold.

1. Aleksander Barkov

The 22-year old lead his team in points (78) and finished second in the NHL among forwards in average ice time (22:04). (Anze Kopitar finished first with 22:05) He has already established himself as the Panthers’ #1 center and does everything for them. He has 5 shorthanded goals (#1 in the league), he can skate, and he has wicked hands.

A big reason in Florida’s late playoff surge was Barkov. The team fully leaned on him to do everything and he produced a career-high 78 points. Near the end of the season, his workload was visibly taking a toll on him and his production diminished. If they want to go back in the playoff hunt, they will need him to regain his health, but also not push him too far.