They’ve won one yes, what about a second Stanley Cup? My Florida Panthers 2024-25 season preview will focus on how they can start building a dynasty by winning their second Cup in a row. A feat that has been done twice already in the cap era.
Florida Panthers 2024 Offseason Acquisitions
- Adam Boqvist signed a one-year contract
Florida Panthers 2024 Offseason Departures
- Eric Stall retired
- Kyle Okposo retired
- Anthony Stolarz signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs
- Brandon Montour signed with the Seattle Kraken
- Oliver Ekman-Larsson signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs
Florida Panthers Focus Is Dynasty Building
There is no doubt that the Florida Panthers are focused on winning a second Stanley Cup in a row and joining the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning as the only teams who've done it in the salary cap era.
Losing Brandon Montour seems like a blow but we have to remember that he scored 40 fewer points than in 22-23 and his xGF% was the fourth-best amongst d-men in Florida. That's not to say “good riddance” but Florida would have had to make a lot of changes to fit that $7.142 million cap hit he got from the Seattle Kraken for a D-man that might not be worth it. They’re hoping the young Adam Boqvist can fill that role.
There's no doubt that the Cats will make the postseason. At -500, the Panthers have the best odds to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. No doubt Selke Trophy favorite Sasha Barkov at +150 and Sergei Bobrovsky have a big say in yet another playoff berth.
A quick second on Bobrovsky, he currently has the seventh-best odds to lead all goalies for wins at +1200. That's a bet I'm quickly placing. He finished second for wins at 36 in 23-24. With the lofty expectations placed on Florida and with Bob being stellar with a 2.37GAA and 0.915SV% he could easily pick up the most wins.
This angle of Sergei Bobrovsky's ridiculous save 😳
— ESPN (@espn) June 9, 2024
📺: ABC/ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/PniJktQsRz
Last year, Florida made the playoffs thanks to a 110-point season. That excellent record from 23-24 was built by dominating the Eastern Conference with a 33-12-5 record. That’s nearly two-thirds of their 110 points. Based on point totals across the East, Florida is set to dominate their conference again with the joint-highest points total at 102.5 (the odds at -110 either way).
| Team | Points Total | Odds (OVER/UNDER) |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Panthers | 102.5 | -110/-110 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 102.5 | -125/+100 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 100.5 | -110/-110 |
| New Jersey Devils | 100.5 | -125/+100 |
| New York Rangers | 100.5 | -110/-110 |
Odds as of October 2
So, guaranteed they make the playoffs. Can they go all the way and win a Cup again?
Florida Panthers Stanley Cup & Playoff Odds
They've got the second-best odds of winning the Stanley Cup after the Edmonton Oilers at +1000. Florida also has the best odds to win the East at +525. The New Jersey Devils are their closest competition for the East, a notion I dismissed in my Devils season preview.
I'm not going to do that with Florida. That's not a shocking take I know. This is a team that's gone to the Stanley Cup Finals in back-to-back seasons. Both as near favorites and massive longshots. Do not doubt them when they get to the dance.
The question isn't "can they win it". The answer to that is a resounding 'yes'. The real question is when should you bet on them to win it?
In my opinion, the right time is going to be in early November. Florida starts the year with several road games on their schedule. Of the first 12 outings, eight are away from home.
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 8 | Bruins | Home |
| Oct. 10 | Senators | Away |
| Oct. 12 | Sabres | Away |
| Oct. 14 | Bruins | Away |
| Oct. 15 | Blue Jackets | Away |
| Oct. 17 | Canucks | Home |
| Oct. 19 | Golden Knights | Home |
| Oct. 22 | Wild | Home |
| Oct. 24 | Rangers | Away |
| Oct. 26 | Islanders | Away |
| Oct. 28 | Sabres | Away |
| Nov. 1 | Stars | AWay |
Odds as of October 2
Remember, NHL teams were 602-710SU (45.9%) away from home last season. Florida could very well start the year with a not-so-stellar record. That would translate with longer odds. So if you're looking for the right time to bet on Florida futures, wait until those early road games have passed. You'll have better odds than the +500 you'll get at the time of writing.
