5 Florida Panthers Ready to Take the Next Step This Season – The Hockey Writers – Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers have an immensely talented roster up and down the lineup, with some key pieces as fixtures. They have even acquired some new pieces, which many believe will help bring them back to Stanley Cup contention. However, five players could take an even bigger leap this season, ascend to the next level of play, and impact the team on their way to a tremendous season.

Sandis Vilmanis

In the 2025-26 season, Sandis Vilmanis played in 19 NHL games and totalled three goals and two assists for five points. He finished the season in South Florida with a minus-1 rating and four penalty minutes. His season concluded with 15 shots on goal and 39 hits while averaging 10:24 of time on ice per game. While it was a small sample size on the NHL front, it stands to reason that the talented rookie could take another leap and break out into a bigger role.

His American Hockey League (AHL) season also showed flashes of his scoring touch: he played 48 games with the Charlotte Checkers and had 17 goals and 21 assists for 38 points. He closed out his AHL campaign at plus-17 with 26 penalty minutes. If given the role of an everyday Panther, he can take a major leap and show off his offensive production displayed throughout the AHL and his short NHL stint.

Anton Lundell

Anton Lundell, selected 12th overall in the 2020 Draft, is another candidate for a breakout and taking another statistical leap this season. In the 2025-26 season, he appeared in 64 games, tallied 18 goals and 26 assists for 44 points, and finished the season with a minus-8.

Across his time with the Panthers so far, he has appeared in 77 playoff games across four runs. He has contributed 12 goals and 34 assists for 46 points. Over the last two seasons, he has registered 45 and 44 points, but next season could bring a bigger leap with talented linemates and as he enters his 25-year-old season, which for many NHL players marks the start of their prime.

Eetu Luostarinen

The projected third line for this year’s Panthers houses not one but two potential breakout candidates, and the second is Eetu Luostarinen. In the 2025-26 season, he appeared in 73 games and recorded 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points. He posted 32 penalty minutes and finished the season as a plus-4.

While with the Panthers across four playoff runs in 73 games, he contributed 10 goals and 24 assists for 34 points. He also donned the Finnish sweater at both the Olympics and the 4 Nations Face-Off. It could be another leap if he finds consistent linemates and favorable offensive matchups with projected linemates Lundell and Brad Marchand.

Gustav Forsling

The back end has one candidate to leap to another level this season, and that is Gustav Forsling. In 80 games last season, he finished with two goals and 26 assists for 28 points. He closed out the season with 51 penalty minutes and was a minus-5. He has appeared in 84 playoff games and has registered eight goals and 23 assists for 31 points.

He has also seen success at the international level for Team Sweden at both the 4 Nations Face-Off and the Olympics. He has been a defensive shutdown piece on the back end, and with the immense talent the Panthers have up front, he could be in for a leap on the offensive side of the ice. If he gets an increased role and opportunity, and even without that, he could take a jump at the defensive end to become viewed as one of the best defensive defensemen.

Brady Tkachuk

The Panthers’ new acquisition, Brady Tkachuk, is a well-established NHL player; however, his new home in South Florida could offer an even greater statistical leap. Given his new potential linemates, another tremendous season could be in store. In his last season with the Ottawa Senators, he registered 22 goals and 37 assists for 59 points in 60 games. He also posted 71 penalty minutes and finished the season as a minus-4.

In his new home in South Florida, in a top-line role with a talented player like Finnish captain Aleksander Barkov, he could be in for a big points boost. Could it be possible, given the talent across his 5-on-5 linemates as well as who he’s sharing the power play with, that potentially 50 goals or 100 points could be on the horizon? He’s shown outstanding offensive production across his time in Ottawa and has been able to play with the physicality and edge that the Panthers have become synonymous with.

These five players are in positions to take some of the biggest leaps on the roster this season. With the team’s success, few roster spots are up for grabs, but with some young developing players and the ability to earn a role, it remains to be seen whether they can succeed in a full-time role and to what level of productivity.