The Florida Panthers defended their Stanley Cup title this summer. And now, they get to go and try to do it all again. Florida is looking to achieve a feat not seen since the 1980s. They are looking for their third consecutive Stanley Cup championship.
The Panthers are one of the best postseason teams we've seen in a long time. Florida raises their game in the playoffs unlike any in the league at this point. They have gone from a Cinderella team in 2023 to the team with the target on its back in 2025. Keeping this team as competitive as it currently is will be the most important task moving forward.
General manager Bill Zito did as much this summer. He re-signed all three of the Panthers' star free agents. Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand, and Sam Bennett remained in Sunrise instead of testing the market in NHL Free Agency. As a result, this team remains at the peak of its strength.
All of those contracts are going to put them in a financial bind at some point, though. And the Panthers will need to move some money around sooner rather than later. With this in mind, here are two players who could end up as trade candidates for Florida with the 2025-26 season a little more than a month away.
Evan Rodrigues is a popular trade candidate
One name that has drawn a ton of speculation this summer is Evan Rodrigues. He joined the Panthers as a relatively unknown depth signing before the 2023-24 season. In the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, though, he made a huge impact. He played a crucial role in defeating the Edmonton Oilers in seven games.
Overall, he has played extremely well as a Panther. His quality as a player is one reason he is as popular of a candidate as he is. However, his contract is another factor. Rodrigues is signed through 2026-27 at an extremely manageable $3 million cap hit. This is an inexpensive player who can make a major impact for any club's middle-six.
Matthew Tkachuk will miss the start of the 2025-26 season with an injury. As a result, Florida won't need to move cap immediately. Once he's ready to return, though, they will need to clear some money. And that's when Rodrigues trade rumors will begin again.
Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen is an intriguing name to watch
The Panthers don't need to move a significant amount of money. There are names such as Carter Verhaeghe who make sense given their large cap hits. However, they have no need to move that sort of salary figure. And Verhaeghe's term could scare teams off.
In saying this, Eetu Luostarinen could be a very valued name. The Panthers forward is only 26, so there might be a bit of growth left here. Moreover, he is signed to the exact same terms Rodrigues is. He's under contract until the summer of 2027 at a cap hit of $3 million.
Luostarinen is a very steady presence on the third line. He has shown the ability to produce at a middle-six clip. In 2022-23, he scored 17 goals and 43 points. There is another level of offense to his game that could be unlocked with more playing time.
However, he may not receive that time with the Panthers. It's hard to imagine them moving him up the lineup, either. As a result, there's a chance Luostarinen is a cap casualty once it's time to bring Tkachuk back into the fold.
