NHL fans could be witnessing the inevitable fall of an empire in Florida. Even the most powerful ones, such as Rome, are destined to fall. It took a thousand years for Rome to crumble, but it did.

And so is the same in pro sports. The greatest dynasties across every sport have met an inevitable ending. The NHL is no different.

The Montreal Canadiens of the 1970s, the New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers of the 1980s, and even the Chicago Blackhawks of the 2010s, all faced an unstoppable downfall.

That downfall is no slight on the players, coaches, or the organizations themselves. It’s just a natural part of life.

And so, that brings us to the current situation in Florida. We’re talking about the hardships the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are currently going through.

Both Florida clubs are going through a less-than-stellar funk to open this season. The Panthers are 3-4 and mired in a four-game losing streak. Their latest loss, a 3-0 blanking at the hands of Alex Lyon and the Buffalo Sabres, has certainly raised some eyebrows.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning sit at 1-3-2 and are officially at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings.

It’s early in the season, of course. Both clubs have plenty of time to turn things around. But could their slow start be the signal of deeper, more troubling issues?

Injuries, mileage catching up to Panthers

The once supremely deep Panthers are seeing that depth put to the test. The Cats are down two of their biggest stars in Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. They’ve lost Dmitry Kulikov and Tomas Nosek, two of those support pieces. Their latest injury could be Niko Mikkola, who left Saturday’s game with an upper-body injury.

That does not bode well for the Cats, especially when factoring in the lack of scoring and mounting injuries. Perhaps it’s a case of the three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances catching up to them.

All those years of chasing championships have left the Panthers bereft of young talent. Ultimately, overly relying on a veteran core has come home to roost. Now, the Panthers will rely on some of their rising stars, like Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen, to prove they’re ready for prime time.

This conversation could be moot next spring. The Panthers could find a way to turn things around despite injuries and look like their dominant selves again. But the seeds are there for what could be the end of the Florida Panthers’ remarkable run.

Window closing on Lightning’s aging core

The Tampa Bay Lightning were a team that was oh so close for a while, and then finally got through under extenuating circumstances. The Bolts won back-to-back Cups during the bubble playoffs.

One might argue that the format simply favored them in those shortened seasons. But then again, the Lightning made it back to the Stanley Cup Final in 2022. Unfortunately, they ran into a Colorado Avalanche team on a mission to win.

The Bolts came as close as you can get to a three-peat, but it just didn’t happen. Following that 2022 Final, it’s been three straight first-round exits for the Bolts. While the bulk of that supremely talented core is still there, they are getting on in years. The toll all of that hockey has taken on them seems to be catching up to them, too.

Victor Hedman, once the NHL’s best defenseman, seems to be losing a step or two. Nikita Kucherov remains an elite player, but he can’t carry the team by himself. And then, there’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, who’s starting to look increasingly human.

Secondary stars like Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel, and Anthony Cirelli have been unable to will the Lightning this season. Perhaps it’s just a speed bump that the Lightning have hit this season. All six of their games this season have been one-goal games. But then again, shouldn’t those be the games the ones the Lightning win?

Their latest loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night signals the team could be running out of gas. If that’s the case, the Lightning could be in trouble. They’ll remain tough to play against unless injuries strike. If injuries do become an issue, it could be lights out in Tampa.

Like the Panthers, the Lightning could find another gear and render this conversation moot. But until that happens, concerns will surround both Florida-based teams.