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After a slow start to the 2023-24 NHL season, the Florida Panthers are on a tear — and just in time for the reinforcements. The Cats have won five games in a row to shoot up to second place in the Atlantic Division standings, and have already welcomed Sam Bennett back to the lineup. Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour are on the way, and could play as soon as the end of the team's California road trip this week.
Although many expected the Panthers to tread water in the absences of their two best defensemen, that has proven to not be the case — at least in the last two weeks. Florida is looking like a juggernaut, with Sergei Bobrovsky rounding into form and the team looking a bit like the one that marched to the Stanley Cup Final just five months ago. And although both Sasha Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk have been phenomenal after relatively slow personal starts, it's obvious that the most pleasant surprise on this team is Sam Reinhart through 15 games.
Sam Reinhart playing like a superstar
Sam Reinhart was a force for his team all through the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, scoring eight goals and 13 points as the Panthers took care of business against the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes. Although it came to a crashing end against the Vegas Golden Knights, Reinhart was not to blame; he was fantastic throughout the postseason.
And he hasn't missed a beat in 2023-24. In fact, Reinhart been the team's best player and a catalyst of its recent success, playing like a true superstar in his ninth full NHL season. The 28-year-old is tied with Nikita Kucherov for sixth in league scoring, with an outrageous twelve goals and 23 points over 15 contests. Reinhart has scored at a point-per-game clip before, but he's looking poised to shatter his career-highs across the board in 2023-24.
The Panthers' top line of Reinhart, Barkov and free agency addition Evan Rodrigues has been excellent in the early going, and is a huge reason why the team is currently 10-4-1, good enough for sixth place in the NHL. Reinhart is in the final season of his contract, and whether it's signed in Florida or elsewhere, he's going to be due for a massive raise next summer.
Although he's been the undoubtable driver of the bus through nearly one-fifth of the year, a blueliner who's been filling in for Montour and Ekblad admirably is one of the franchise's newest players: Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson returning to form
OEL has been a spectacular fit in Florida, manning the top powerplay unit with poise while playing over 23 minutes a night on the top pairing. Along with Gustav Forsling, the two have been excellent at both ends of the rink, and Ekman-Larsson is starting to look much more like the Arizona Coyotes version of himself, rather than the one that was bought out by the Vancouver Canucks.
The 32-year-old is leading the D-core in scoring, and is fifth on the team with four goals and 10 points in 15 games. He's been a great addition to PP1, although his role in that spot will likely come to an end once Montour and Ekblad return. Still, he figures to play big minutes on the second pairing and second powerplay unit, and will likely continue to thrive with better matchups. There's also no guarantee that either defensemen will play at the level they did last season, meaning OEL will probably have a longer leash after proving himself early.
Regardless of how his role changes over the next few weeks, Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been a fantastic surprise for the Panthers this season. On the flip side of that is forward Eetu Luostarinen, who's had a nightmare start to the campaign.
Eetu Luostarinen struggling
Luostarinen thrived in a limited role in the bottom-six last season, scoring a very respectable 17 goals and 43 points in 82 games. He was also noticeable in the postseason, adding an additional five points. But it's been a different story this year; the 25-year-old Finn is at the bottom of the team in scoring, managing just two assists through 15 games.
The fact he is playing on the third line and averaging over 16 minutes of ice per game is concerning. This player earned a three-year contract extension after a breakout campaign, and was getting looks with the second powerplay group. That is no longer the case with Bennett back, and the only points he will be getting will come at even strength from now on. Still, he can be much better, and has been the biggest disappointment on the squad so far.
Regardless of Luostarinen's struggles, the team is firing on all cylinders — and that's without Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad on the ice. Once those two have been ramped up, especially considering the torrid play of both Sam Reinhart and Oliver Ekman-Larsson the Panthers looked primed to remain near the top of the National Hockey League all season.
