3 questions facing Florida Panthers

NHL.com is providing in-depth analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, three important questions facing the Florida Panthers.

1. How quick will the new-look defenseman group adapt?

The Panthers group of defensemen will look much different to open the season than it did for the final game of last season. Gone are Radko Gudas (Anaheim Ducks) and Marc Staal (Philadelphia Flyers), each via free agency, and Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour each had offseason shoulder surgery, putting their availability for the start of the season in question. Enter Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niko Mikkola and Dmitry Kulikov, who each signed as a free agent. That leaves Gustav Forsling and Josh Mahura as the only healthy mainstays from last season, when each played all 82 games.

Lucas Carlsson, Mike Benning, Casey Fitzgerald, Mike Reilly and Matt Kiersted will be among those competing for NHL spots to begin the season. They combined to play 26 games with the Panthers last season.

"There's definitely some changes and going to be some changes at the start season, especially on defense, but we still have, with the guys that we brought in and the guys that are healthy, [good depth]," forward Matthew Tkachuk said. "I think it's pretty obvious we're going to be led by Gustav Forsling (to start the season), who I think is one of the best [defensemen] in the League."

2. Which Panthers team will show up in the regular season?

It took until three days before the end of the season for the Panthers to clinch a Stanley Cup Playoff berth, and they advanced all the way to the Cup Final before losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games. Florida was 42-32-8 after setting Panthers records for wins (58) and points (122) in winning the Presidents' Trophy as the team with the best regular-season record in 2021-22 before losing in the second round of the playoffs.

"It feels like our season just ended, but I feel like the core guys are still there and [hopefully] we can [play like] the last few months from the start of the season," Tkachuk said last week. "But we also have that sour taste and how it ended and how we got so close and how it's so hard to get there on the road. I can guarantee you guys are way more hungry after getting so close and not getting it done this year. So we're going to be definitely ready."

3. What should be expected of the goalies this season?

Sergei Bobrovsky began last season as the No. 1 goalie but was the backup to Alex Lyon to end the season and to start the playoffs. He struggled during the regular season (24-20-3, 3.07 goals-against average, .901 save percentage) but took off in the playoffs after he replaced Lyon in Game 4 of the first round against the Boston Bruins. Bobrovsky was 11-2 with a 2.21 GAA and .935 save percentage in 14 games prior to the Cup Final.

Spencer Knight was on hand at development camp in July after the goalie returned from the NHL/NHL Players' Association player assistance program, which he entered Feb. 24. He was 9-8-3 with a 3.18 GAA and .901 save percentage in 21 games last season, last playing Feb. 18, and is expected to be with the team for training camp.

With Lyon having signed with the Detroit Red Wings in free agency July 1, the playing-time split for Bobrovsky and Knight is among the intriguing questions facing the Panthers this season.

"I could think things or speculate on how things go, but the one thing I've learned is that I've just got be cool with whatever happens," Knight said in July. "… And that's the approach I think I have to have because I know the skill I have, and I don't doubt that. The skill combined with my physical capability, I think I have tremendous skill and I think I can be one of the best goalies in this league. I'm still 22."