The Florida Panthers are in a strong position to make another run at a Stanley Cup this season after winning it all in a dramatic final series over theEdmonton Oilers in 2024.
Even though the Panthers are one of the best teams in the NHL again in 2025, there is always room for improvement. Florida made a big move to get better on Saturday night when they traded for defenseman Seth Jones from the last-place Chicago Blackhawks.
Jones should come in and immediately help the Panthers, but that doesn’t mean that Florida general manager Bill Zito is done trying to bring in reinforcements as the Panthers gear up for a playoff push. He and the Panthers are still trying to make moves, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.
“We’re going to work until Friday at the deadline, and if there’s a way to make us better and we think it’s a prudent way to make us better, we’ll do it,” Zito said, per LeBrun.
Those moves may not involve another star player, but the Panthers would be wise to bring in some depth especially with the injury to Matthew Tkachuk. Zito is confident that the Panthers will be able to do that, and he may have been a little hungry when scouring the trade market.
“I think it’s more a function of who’s available and does it help us without being disruptive,” Zito said, per LeBrun. “We have our cake. It’s made. It’s baked and we have the layers of the actual cake. But this is frosting on top, and it works real well.
“But then we have a New York strip, everyone likes New York strip, right? But it doesn’t work with the cake. So just something that can supplement what’s here.”
The Panthers are currently in second place in the Atlantic Division, but they are just a point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the top spot. Regardless of where they finish and are seeded in the playoffs, nobody will want to see such an experienced group in a seven-game series.
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