Three Reasons This Is the Florida Panthers Year for the Stanley Cup

The Florida Panthers have not been to the Stanley Cup finals since the 1995-96 season, losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. Since that heartbreaking finish, the Panthers have only made the playoffs six times since then – now seven after clinching their playoff bid yesterday.

During that span, the Panthers have slowly recovered and started building a contender with the right pieces on the ice, but more importantly, getting those right pieces behind the bench and in the front office.

The success of the Panthers began in past drafts, with Aaron Ekblad, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Alexander Barkov coming aboard to make this team a dangerous one, but a threatening one as well.

The Panthers have come full circle and are now a top-flight contending team that is fun to watch and should be taken seriously. General manager Bill Zito has brought in some key, important pieces for a lengthy playoff run. Coach Andrew Brunette has got this team focused and driven to accomplish anything in its path.

The team is deeper and more talented than any other team in the Eastern Conference. Other than the Colorado Avalanche they are loaded from top to bottom and are a hard team to play against because of their speed.

This is the best team in the franchise’s history and they look to be a force to be reckoned with once the playoffs start. This team is scary good and has all of the tools to be raising Lord Stanley once all is said and done. The Panthers have few holes on their roster, one that is not done with showing people they are for real.

Below are three reasons this is going to be the year the Florida Panthers rise above the rest and hoist the ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup.