After becoming one of the most successful NHL franchises over the last 25 years, it is no easy feat to pick four of the best players during that time to make up a Mount Rushmore for the Florida Panthers. But three players in particular are extremely unlucky not to have made the Panthers' top four, and each have more than convincing arguments to be there.
Matthew Tkachuk
Looking back on the trade which brought Matthew Tkachuk to Florida in return for Jonathan Huberdeau, it could probably be argued to be the most important trade in recent history for the Florida Panthers, and one that could easily be argued as a multi-Cup winning trade. Huberdeau. who is one of the four who made the Panthers Mount Rushmore, was coming off the back of a 100+ point season, and the trade in July of 2022 saw him head to Calgary with Tkachuk heading to Florida in exchange.
In that time, Huberdeau's performances on the ice have rapidly depleted, only putting up only one60+ point season in his three years in Calgary. However, the risky move to send him to the Flames in return for Tkachuk was one which ultimately paid off, adding a vital piece of the Stanley Cup puzzle they were desperatley trying to solve.
Tkachuk posted his first 100-point season with the Flames during the 2021-22 season, and after making the move down to Sunrise, his game only began to elevate. Playing alongside NHL greats like Sasha Barkov resulted in a second consecutive 100-point season, but it was his postseason performances which really showed why he was so important to Florida's success. Scoring 20+ points in three consecutive Stanley Cup finals, while being one of the most important pieces of two Cup winning teams, Tkachuk has made his mark on Florida Panthers history, and has his name etched on the Stanley Cup twice to solidify it.
Although Jonathan Huberdeau has his own place in Panthers history as the second-highest point scorer in Panthers history, and was a key part of the Panthers roster for the best part of a decade, what Matthew Tkachuk has done in only three years shows why his spot on the Mount Rushmore is most definitely deserved. Despite Hurberdeau's arguments, Tkachuk will go down as one of the Panthers greatest ever players, and a historical player in the franchise's success.
Pavel Bure
Although NHL legend and Hall of Famer Pavel Bure only spent a short three and a half year stint with the Panthers, he walked away from his time in Sunrise with two Rocket Richard trophies under his belt, and became one of the most lethal scorers in the league during his time with Florida, marking his short time in the Sunshine State as one to remember.
Even though he never really made any strides in earning Stanley Cup glory with the Panthers, he is the only player in Panthers franchise histroy to win not one but two Rocket Richard awards, and he did so in back-to-back seasons. Scoring 58 and 59 goals respectively in those two years is something a Panthers player hasn't done since, and considering his time in Florida only lasted a short while, the 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons were two of the best of his Hall of Fame career.
Losing out to Aaron Ekblad, Sasha Barkov, Roberto Luongo, and Jonathan Huberdeau isn't as much of a shock compared to the likes of Tkachuk due to his lack of impact on the franchise as a whole, and the lack of time he had in Florida, but for what he achieved with the Panthers, he did more than enough to be considered for a spot.
Despite not making any real stab at the Cup during his time there, or making any real successful impact as a team, Bure can definitely go down as a Panthers legend. Two sublime seasons becoming the league's top goal scorer shows he made enough of an impact, and gave the Panthers enough recognition during tough times to be considered for a spot on their quarter century Mount Rushmore.
Sergei Bobrovsky
Would it be greedy for Sergei Bobrovsky to make two quarter century Mount Rushmore teams? It wouldn't be crazy to say no. Having already made the cut for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Bobrovsky was probably in for a shot at making the Panthers, or at least he should have been given how much he has done and given to the Panthers franchise over the last couple of years. Although most of his individual success came during his time at Columbus winning two Vezina trophies, his two Stanley Cup rings were won in Florida, and as one of the most important parts of the team, it is easy to consider him to be a Mount Rushmore player from the last 25 years of Panthers hockey.
Losing out to Hall of Famer Roberto Luongo isn't something Sergei Bobrovsky will be complaining about. Luongo is a Panthers icon, spending 10 years of his playing career in Florida over two stints, going through thick and thin with the team, and being arguably one of the most likeable players in Panthers history. But, did he leave a long-lasting effect? Bobrovsky can be seen as the most important part of the Stanley Cup-winning team, displaying two exceptional Finals performaces, and becoming the focal point of their success.
Having never dropped below a .900 save percentage during his time in Florida, and carrying that trend on to the postseason, Sergei Bobrovsky is, and will be remembered as probably the best goaltender in Panther history, and the guy who put his body on the line at 36 years old to win the Panthers their first two Stanley Cups in history, back to back. If anybody has claims to make the Mount Rushmore, it is Sergei Bobrovsky, and if he hadn't made the list for Columbus, maybe he would have his place on Florida's. But he is easily the fifth man out.
There is no shortage of options when it comes to choosing this millenium's best players for each NHL team, but these players deserved a second look for their contributions to the Panthers franchise.