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The Florida Panthers are the defending Stanley Cup champions this season. The Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final back in June. It marked the first championship in franchise history for Florida after two losing efforts in the 1996 and 2023 Stanley Cup Finals. As a result, Florida entered the season in rather uncharted territory for them.
They were the team everyone aspired to be. They were no longer the Cinderella story that captivated hockey fans just two seasons ago. Now, the target was firmly on Florida's back. And so far, the Panthers have remained one of the best teams in the NHL to this point in the season. Florida holds a record of 27-17-3, good for second in the Atlantic Division.
The Panthers have hit a bit of a rough patch, to be fair. They have lost seven of their last 12 games, including four of their last seven. They find themselves three points back of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division, as well. The Panthers certainly don't need a blockbuster move by any means, but they could use some sort of upgrade.
The Panthers don't have a ton of cap space, however. In fact, they are projected to have less than $600,000 in available space around the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline in March. As a result, Florida will certainly need to get creative. Thankfully, there is a player who fills an important need while also being cost-effective.
The Panthers should reunite with Josh Mahura
Josh Mahura spent two seasons with the Panthers before the 2024-25 campaign. In 2023-24, he was limited to 30 games in the regular season. He did not play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs as Florida went on to win the Cup. However, he did get his name engraved on the Cup at Florida's request.
In the summer, Mahura signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Kraken. And the 26-year-old has emerged as a very solid defensive option. He is a stabilizing defense-first presence on a Seattle blueline that has had some ups and downs. The Kraken aren't eliminated from playoff contention at this time, but he could be available around the NHL Trade Deadline.
The Panthers lost some key pieces in NHL Free Agency over the summer. This especially rings true on the blueline. The Panthers signed some cheap depth options such as Nate Schmidt and Adam Boqvist. However, the team's blueline has not been as strong as it was in 2023-24.
Florida is unlikely to be able to replace the likes of Brandon Montour or Oliver-Ekman Larsson, who both left in free agency. However, they could certainly improve their depth on the back end. Mahura is familiar with the Panthers organization. And he knows it's a team he can win with.
Mahura is healthy and playing well for his team at this time. Moreover, his cap hit is one Florida can take on with minimal adjustment. Mahura carries a $775K cap hit on his one-year contract with the Kraken. Seattle may need to retain a small portion of his cap hit to make everything work. But they have all three retention slots available to them.
The Panthers are looking to bring another Stanley Cup championship to Sunrise, Florida. Josh Mahura may not be the flashiest name on the trade market. But he could prove to be a valuable addition to a Florida team hoping to continue their run of dominance in the NHL.
