The Florida Panthers will unfurl their second Stanley Cup championship banner in as many years on Tuesday night, but as soon as the flag takes its place in the rafters, it’ll be about looking forward.
The journey to a three-peat starts with a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on NHL Opening Night, and the Panthers already have some adversity to overcome.
The Cats will be without Aleksander Barkov for the entire season, while Matthew Tkachuk isn’t due back until December at the earliest.
Florida is still a prohibitive -285 favorite to defeat the Blackhawks on Tuesday evening.
Blackhawks vs. Panthers odds, prediction
The Panthers have plenty of depth, but no team is going to be able to just carry on normally after losing its two best players to long-term injuries.
While Tkachuk is a game-wrecker on his own, Barkov is perhaps the most important player to his team this side of Connor McDavid.
A two-way powerhouse, Barkov played against the opponent’s best players every night, and he chipped in plenty of offense, too.
Betting on the NHL?
With Tkachuk, Barkov, and maybe Anton Lundell on the shelf for Tuesday night, the Panthers take on a different identity, which should lead to some opportunities for unheralded players to chip in on the scoresheet.
One such player is Mackie Samoskevich, a 22-year-old forward who potted 15 goals last season. The Connecticut native should get ample ice-time in a plum spot with so many Cats in press box.
Even without their stars, the Panthers are still a deserving favorite over the Blackhawks, but this line seems a bit too wide given the circumstances.
Chicago was awful in 2024-25, but things should start to move forward for the Blackhawks this coming year. Connor Bedard should have better numbers with more help up front, and Frank Nazar could wind up becoming a suitable No. 2 center behind the face of the franchise.
The blueline is incredibly young, but it’s got heaps of talent, and will be tutored by Jeff Blashill, who will implore his charges to take care of things in their own zone before anything else.
An improved defense should help Spencer Knight, who was acquired from Florida for Seth Jones last winter, continue to develop into a No. 1 goaltender.
This will likely be a long season in Chicago, but there’s more to this roster than there was last April, and that makes them a dangerous underdog on Opening Night against the banged-up champs.
The Play: Blackhawks +230 (FanDuel) | Mackie Samoskevich to score a goal (+310, BetRivers)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
