The Florida Panthers knew if they wanted to make a run at a second straight Stanley Cup championship, they’d need to make moves at the NHL trade deadline. Boy did they.
On March 1, the Panthers sent Spencer Knight, their perceived goalie of the future, and a conditional first-round draft pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for defenseman Seth Jones and a fourth-round pick. Jones has been one of the NHL’s more curious players since the Nashville Predators drafted him fourth overall in 2013, making five All-Star teams in scoring 97 goals with 335 assists but never quite living up to the hype as a top-line defensemen.
Then right after the trade deadline ended Friday, news broke that the Boston Bruins were sending Brad Marchand to Florida. The feisty forward won the 2011 Stanley Cup with the Bruins and has 976 points over his illustrious career. The 36-year-old is currently rehabbing an upper-body injury, so when he’d make his Panthers debut is unknown. Florida will already be without Matthew Tkachuk, their second-leading scorer, until the playoffs because of an injury he suffered during the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The Panthers also traded for center Nico Sturm and goalie Vitek Vanecek from the San Jose Sharks. Tonight’s game vs. the Buffalo Sabres is Florida’s last home game before a six-game road trip that won’t see them return to Amerant Bank Arena until a meeting with Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 23.
Here’s a look at the Panthers schedule ahead and where they sit in the standings, plus how to buy tickets for this week’s games:
Thanks to a five-game winning streak, the Panthers are holding onto a slight lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Atlantic Division lead. Entering Friday’s games, Florida had 81 points (39-21-3) while Toronto has 79 points (38-21-3). The two face off Thursday north of the border.
In the Eastern Conference race, Florida is trailing the Washington Capitals, who had 88 points entering Friday’s games. If the playoffs were to begin today, the Panthers would face the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round.
Here’s a look at the Panthers’ schedule for the week ahead. All times Eastern:
Entering Friday’s games, Sam Reinhart was tied for fourth in the NHL with 32 goals and led the league with five shorthanded goals. Gustav Forsling was tied for third in plus/minus at +31. Matthew Tkachuk was tied for sixth with 11 power-play goals. Sergei Bobrovsky was fourth among goalies with 27 wins. A.J. Greer was tied for fifth with 89 penalty minutes. Mackie Samoskevich was tied for fifth among rookies with 11 goals.
Tickets for Saturday’s game vs. the Sabres at Amerant Bank Arena are available for $22 (before fees) on StubHub. Seats in the lower bowl are available for $55.
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