The Panthers have become the NHL’s latest powerhouse, winning the Eastern Conference for three straight years between 2023 and 2025.
That includes Florida winning its first Stanley Cup title in 2024, as the Panthers found the formula to win in the playoffs. The team wasn’t done there, though, as the Panthers aimed to become the NHL’s latest back-to-back champion during the following year.
Therefore, the Panthers had to make key moves to maintain their success in their title defense. While Florida made savvy moves in the offseason, the team really made splashes at the trade deadline to fortify its roster.
Here’s a look at the key Panthers moves after winning it all in 2024.
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How the 2024-25 Panthers were built
The Panthers returned much of the same core that won the Stanley Cup in 2024, including Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Aleksander Barkov, and Sergei Bobrovsky. However, they added to their team to strengthen what was already one of the best rosters in the league.
Here’s what they did.
Sam Reinhart extension
Fresh off their first Stanley Cup championship, the Panthers’ first big move of the offseason was signing forward Sam Reinhart to an eight-year, $69 million extension, preventing Reinhart from reaching free agency.
After spending his first seven seasons with the Sabres, Reinhart became a key piece of the Panthers’ success, which includes four straight 30-goal seasons. That includes a career-high 57 goals and 94 points in 2023-24, helping lead Florida to the title.
By keeping Reinhart from leaving, the Panthers kept their core intact for a strong title defense.
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Free agency additions
During free agency, the Panthers made several moves that allowed them to replace key pieces of the 2023-24 Stanley Cup team.
Florida signed Dmitry Kulikov and Nate Schmidt on the blue line, forming the team’s third defense pair. Kulikov re-signed with Florida on a four-year contract, while Schmidt signed a one-year deal to join the Panthers.
On offense, the Panthers added to their depth by signing A.J. Greer to a two-year contract and Tomas Nosek to a one-year deal. While neither player is a strong scorer, both have helped Florida form quality play on its fourth line.
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Seth Jones trade
On March 1, 2024, the Panthers made a splash by landing veteran defenseman Seth Jones from the Blackhawks in a huge deal. Florida sent Chicago goalie Spencer Knight and a conditional first-round pick back in return, while also receiving a 2026 fourth-round pick in the deal.
At the time of the trade, Jones was 30 and in the third year of an eight-year, $76 million he initially signed with the Blackhawks in 2022. The Panthers picked up the remaining five years of that contract, running through 2030.
Jones has been a solid NHL defenseman in his career for the Predators and Blue Jackets and was expected to lead the Blackhawks through their rebuild. However, as Chicago continued to struggle, Jones’ relationship with the team went south, leading to a move.
Florida’s willingness to take on Jones’ contract is what got the deal done, along with sending away Knight, a former first-round goalie who was stuck behind Sergei Bobrovsky on the depth chart.
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Brad Marchand trade
The Panthers trade deadline ended with a bang, as Florida shockingly acquired long-time Bruins forward Brad Marchand for what is likely to become a 2028 first-round pick.
The Bruins captain at the time, Marchand had been with Boston for his entire career as one of the biggest pests in the league. However, facing free agency and with Boston out of the playoff picture, Marchand and the Bruins never found ground on a new contract, leading to Boston trading him at the deadline.
Marchand was injured when he was traded, as he only got into 10 games in the regular season before the playoffs began. However, he unsurprisingly turned in on the playoffs and became one of the team’s biggest postseason performers.
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