The Florida Panthers enter the 2025-26 season with a chance at a rare NHL three-peat.
No NHL team has won three in a row since the New York Islanders won four in the early 1980s, and the Panthers are also looking for a fourth consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
Advertisement
But their chances are complicated because captain Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk will miss considerable time with injuries. Both are recovering from surgery, Barkov after he was hurt in practice.
Of course, the Panthers remain among the elite teams, especially after general manager Bill Zito was able to re-sign his key free agents.
Here where the Panthers and the other 31 teams place in USA TODAY‘s initial NHL power rankings for the 2025-26 season:
1 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Mitch Marner joined the Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade.
1 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Mitch Marner joined the Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade.
2 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Nikolaj Ehlers signed with the Hurricanes.
3 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Mikael Granlund signed with the Ducks.
4 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov signed with the Rangers.
5 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Pius Suter signed with the Blues.
6 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Nate Schmidt signed with the Mammoth.
7 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Jonathan Drouin signed with the Islanders.
8 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Corey Perry signed with the Kings.
9 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Brent Burns signed with the Avalanche.
10 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Connor Brown signed with the Devils.
11 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Evgenii Dadonov signed with the Devils.
12 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Christian Dvorak signed with the Flyers.
13 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Ryan Lindgren signed with the Kraken.
14 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Tanner Jeannot signed with the Bruins.
15 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Gustav Nyquist signed with the Jets.
16 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Cody Ceci signed with the Kings.
17 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Brian Dumoulin signed with the Kings.
18 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Nico Sturm signed with the Wild.
19 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Jeff Skinner signed with the Sharks.
20 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Nathan Bastian signed with the Dallas Stars.
21 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Victor Olofsson signed with the Colorado Avalanche.
22 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Travis Hamonic signed with the Red Wings.
23 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev signed with the Buffalo Sabres.
24 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Luke Kunin signed with the Florida Panthers.
25 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Hudson Fasching signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
26 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Noah Dobson was traded to the Montreal Canadiens.
27 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Matt Dumba was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
28 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman K’Andre Miller was traded to the Hurricanes.
29 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Goalie Arturs Silovs was traded to the Penguins.
30 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forwards Miles Wood (28) and Charlie Coyle (10) were traded to the Blue Jackets.
31 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Mason Marchment was traded to the Kraken.
32 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Viktor Arvidsson was traded to the Bruins.
33 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Goaltender John Gibson was traded to the Red Wings.
34 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Chris Kreider was traded to the Ducks.
35 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Goaltender Connor Ingram was traded to the Oilers.
36 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Ryan Reaves was traded to the Sharks for defenseman Heny Thrun.
37 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Evander Kane was traded to the Canucks.
38 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward JJ Peterka was traded to the Mammoth. Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan went to the Sabres in the trade.
39 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic was traded to the Sharks.
40 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Trevor Zegras was traded to the Flyers.
41 / 41
NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Goalie Ivan Fedotov was traded to the Blue Jackets.
New coach Glen Gulutzan inherits a strong team in his second stint with the Stars, starting with a full season out of trade deadline acquisition Mikko Rantanen.
Advertisement
2. Vegas Golden Knights
They addressed their need for more scoring from the wing by signing 100-point scorer Mitch Marner. But they’ll have to deal with an injury to defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.
The Oilers have changed up the people surrounding Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but those two make Edmonton a contender for a third consecutive trip to the final.
4. Florida Panthers
The two-time defending champions have tremendous injuries. Barkov is gone for seven to nine months and Tkachuk is out until December. But they also have tremendous depth and a front office and coaching staff that will help them overcome.
Advertisement
After two seasons of being unable to get trade acquisitions to stay, they added coveted free agent Nikolaj Ehlers. The defense also got younger.
Always a threat to win the division, they’re aided as rival Toronto and Florida deal with key absences.
No goalie has won three consecutive Vezina trophies since Dominik Hasek in the 1990s. Connor Hellebuyck will try to join him and also is the reigning Hart Trophy winner.
Advertisement
8. Colorado Avalanche
Captain Gabriel Landeskog is back for a full season, adding to an already loaded roster that has Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar and former MVP Nathan MacKinnon.
9. Washington Capitals
The Capitals have brought back key contributors from last season. Everything went right in the 2024-25 regular season, especially Alex Ovechkin’s goal record. Can coach of the year Spencer Carbery repeat the magic?
Coach Craig Berube faces the challenge of guiding a team without Marner. The Leafs’ bottom six is better, but a second consecutive division title might be out of reach.
Advertisement
11. New Jersey Devils
All is good with the Hughes brothers. Jack is healthy after last year’s surgery and Luke is averaging $9 million a year in a deal he signed during the preseaon.
Kirill Kaprizov signed a record extension, which eliminates a potential distraction this season. They made the playoffs in 2024-25 despite Kaprizov missing half a season. They now need to figure out how to get out of the first round.
Their defense has taken a step back, but the team will be motivated to try to make a run in Anze Kopitar’s final season.
Advertisement
They ended a seven-year playoff drought, and Brady Tkachuk and company have the tools to get back.
15. Utah Mammoth
A playoff appearance seems likely. JJ Peterka joins a talented forward group and they added Stanley Cup-winning defenseman Nate Schmidt.
The Blues squeezed into the playoffs and nearly upset the No. 1 overall Jets. They’ll push for another berth.
They rode the memory of Johnny Gaudreau to within two points of a playoff berth. Better scoring depth and goalie Jet Greaves could get them there this season.
Advertisement
18. Vancouver Canucks
Goalie Thatcher Demko is healthy, Brock Boeser re-signed and Adam Foote was promoted to coach. They really need Elias Pettersson to return to elite status.
Pretty much everything went wrong as the Rangers missed the playoffs a year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy. New coach Mike Sullivan has his work cut out to get them back to the playoffs.
The Canadiens made the playoffs and added Noah Dobson. They’ll be among many teams competing for a wild-card spot.
Advertisement
The Flames extended goalie Dustin Wolf, coach Ryan Huska and others after missing the playoffs on a tiebreaker. They’ll be in the mix again this season.
22. Anaheim Ducks
New coach Joel Quenneville will continue Anaheim’s upward trajectory. The Ducks are deeper, but they aren’t a playoff team yet, especially if they improve on their league-worst power play.
23. New York Islanders
The Islanders need better injury luck after Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair missed a combined 90 games last season. Dobson is gone but that creates an opportunity for No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer.
Advertisement
24. Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres, trying to end a record 14-year playoff drought, are dealing with injuries. Not a good sign.
The Red Wings are trying to end a long drought (nine years). They had a fine offseason but it doesn’t seem enough.
26. Boston Bruins
Goalie Jeremy Swayman will be better after not missing training camp this year and David Pastrnak is always dangerous. Does this team have enough depth after last season’s sell-off?
Advertisement
27. Philadelphia Flyers
The key additions are coach Rick Tocchet, forward Trevor Zegras and penalty killer Christian Dvorak, but the question, as usual, is whether they can keep the puck out of their net.
28. Pittsburgh Penguins
Longtime coach Sullivan is gone, replaced by Dan Muse. The Penguins’ core is skilled but aging and the team could end up shedding some secondary veterans, depending on how the season goes.
29. Seattle Kraken
The Kraken fired coach Dan Bylsma after one season and brought in Lane Lambert, who didn’t last two seasons as Islanders head coach. This team is still looking for an identity.
Advertisement
30. Nashville Predators
The Predators can’t be as disappointing as last season, right? After “winning” the 2024 offseason, they finished with the third worst record. The 2025 offseason was low-key, and they’ll need plenty of bounce-back individual efforts.
31. San Jose Sharks
The Sharks loaded up with second-tier veterans to reach the cap floor but youngsters Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith hold the key.
The Blackhawks will be better with Spencer Knight in net for a full season and with improvement from Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar, but they’ll be in the mix for top prospect Gavin McKenna.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL power rankings: How do injuries affect Panthers’ status?