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2023 Florida Panthers Predictions with Futures Odds and Expert NHL Picks

by Ryan Cobbett - 9/21/2023

Florida Panthers predictions Matthew Tkachuk

Summary of last season

Lucky. That is one word to describe the season for Florida. Yes, it was fun to watch, as they won 12 of their last 19 games in the regular season and then shocked the world by taking out the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, erasing a 3-1 series deficit. They would then win eight out of nine against Toronto and Carolina for a date with Stanley and the Vegas Golden Knights. Sergei Bobrovsky struggled in the finals as the Panthers allowed over five GA/G while managing to tally just 12 of their own in the whole series.

Matthew Tkachuk was incredible on the year, finishing with 109 points on 40 G and 69 A. Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe, and Brandon Montour all finished with at least 73 points. Tkachuk posted a +29 +/- rating which was good for top 20 in the league.

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Seasons come and go, so now it’s time to take a look at what we can expect from the Florida Panthers in 2023-24:

Key Additions/Losses

Florida will miss the presence of the Staal brothers with Marc off to Philadelphia while Eric remains a free agent.

However, this offseason Florida has focused on their depth. They have added Dman Niko Mikkola (NYR), Mile Reilly (BOS), Dmitry Kulikov (PIT), and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (VAN). This gives their blueline incredible depth behind Montour and Gustav Forsling. They also added F Evan Rodrigues (COL), who could add a little bit of a boost to the offense.

X-Factors

Matthew Tkachuk - He has quickly made himself one of the most impactful players on any team. He has averaged more than 100 points in his last two seasons and will look to reach that mark again in his second season in South Florida. The Panthers will need every point they can get from their star player if they want to compete again this season.

Goalie Outlook

Sergei Bobrovsky was just ok in the regular season, great in his trek through the East, and then awful against Vegas in the finals. Postseason hero Alex Lyon has gone to Detroit, so the depth isn’t there. It is up to Bobrovsky to find a little bit more consistency for the length of the season to put Florida in a good position for another deep playoff run.

Grade: C

Expectations

The league wide expectations for this team is to be competitive. More will remember their playoff heroics last season and not their regular season. Though it is not how you start its how you finish, I do think this team is overhyped and overrated. Their goalie situation is bleak. And behind Tkachuk, this team lacks stardom. They will make a playoff run, but I would not be surprised to see this team usurped by Detroit or Buffalo this season.

Team Point Total- Under 99.5

Key Schedule Stretch

November 27th-December 27th- This is a stretch of 14 games, five of which are at home, while nine (including five straight) are on the road. Though this is not a crazy split for a month-long stretch, their five home games are against the Islanders, Stars, Penguins, Blues, and Golden Knights. I see only one winnable game in those five home games. Their road games include trips to Edmonton, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Seattle, and Ottawa. This is going to be a tough 14-game stretch for Florida, and finishing it with an above .500 record would be quite a feat.

Notable Odds

*DraftKings

Stanley Cup Champions - +1600

Conference Winner - +850

Division Winner - +380

Hart Award – Matthew Tkachuk +1200

Prediction

I predict Florida to miss the playoffs and face disappointment this season. They did a good job adding depth at the blueline and perhaps that makes Bobrovsky’s life a little easier, but I just think this is an aging team that has a no clear window. I like a younger and more exciting Buffalo, Detroit, or even Ottawa take away the Panthers playoff hopes.

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