The Florida Panthers are bumping up against the salary cap ceiling. They are two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions, so they are happy to pay up for their core. But, like any salary cap sport, spending on free agents could mean the departure of important depth. The Panthers were rumored to have Evan Rodrigues on the trade block, but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported he won't be on the move.
“I think a number of fans have wondered if Florida would trade someone like Evan Rodrigues off their roster to make things work. I don't think that's going to be happening. First of all, they consider Rodrigues a really important player. But secondly, I think we're gonna find out at some point here that [Matthew] Tkachuk will miss the start of the season,” Friedman reported.
The Panthers have used long-term injured reserve to their benefit in recent years, specifically with Tkachuk. After his injury from the 4 Nations Face-Off knocked him out for the regular season, he was on LTIR. They used that space to trade for Seth Jones and Brad Marchand. Friedman continued, reporting on when Panthers fans can expect Tkachuk back.
“I think he'll be back in time for the Olympics. Obviously, that's a huge deal for him, and it was always going to be set up that way. But, I think he's going to miss the start of the year and a chunk of time after that.”
The Panthers won't trade Rodrigues and will take advantage of LTIR for potentially the last time. In the newest CBA that will go into effect in 2026, teams will have to be salary-cap compliant in the postseason. But for this year, they will be able to activate Tkachuk without facing salary cap penalties.
The Panthers will look to win a third straight Stanley Cup. If they pull it off, they'll be the first team since the 1980-83 New York Islanders and the first North American sports team since the 1998-2000 Yankees.
