How Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers were built

The Florida Panthers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight season with a 5-3 win against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final at Lenovo Center on Wednesday.

The Panthers will seek to win their second straight title after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in seven games last season; they lost in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023.

Fourteen players who have played at least one Stanley Cup Playoff game in 2025 were on the Cup-winning roster last season. Forward Brad Marchand, acquired prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 7, won the Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011. Forward Nico Sturm, who was not with the Panthers last season, won it with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022.

Of the 23 players to play at least one postseason game, 11 were signed in free agency, seven were acquired via trade, four were selected by Florida in the NHL Draft, and one was claimed off waivers. Nineteen of the 22 skaters have at least one goal in the playoffs and 21 at least one point.

Here's how the roster of this Stanley Cup finalist was built, with background on the coaching staff and general manager:

FORWARDS

Aleksander Barkov, C: Selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, Barkov had 71 points (20 goals, 51 assists) in 67 regular season games and has 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 17 playoff games.

Sam Bennett, C: Acquired in a trade with the Calgary Flames on April 12, 2021, with a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft for forward prospect Emil Heineman and a second-round selection in 2022, Bennett had 51 points (25 goals, 26 assists) in 76 regular-season games and has 16 points (10 goals, six assists) in 17 playoff games.

Jesper Boqvist, C: Signed as a free agent July 1, 2024, Boqvist had 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) in 78 regular-season games and has five points (two goals, three assists) in 11 playoff games.

Jonah Gadjovich, LW: Signed as a free agent Oct. 16, 2023, Gadjovich scored four goals in 42 regular-season games and has three points (two goals, one assist) in 10 playoff games.

A.J. Greer, LW: Signed as a free agent July 1, 2024, Greer had 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 81 regular-season games and has three points (two goals, one assist) in 12 playoff games.

Anton Lundell, C: Selected in the first round (No. 12) of the 2020 NHL Draft, Lundell had 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists) in 79 regular-season games and has 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 17 playoff games.

Eetu Luostarinen, C: Acquired from the Hurricanes on Feb. 24, 2020, with defenseman Chase Priskie and forwards Erik Haula and Lucas Wallmark for forward Vincent Trocheck, Luostarinen had 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 80 regular-season games and has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 17 playoff games.

Brad Marchand, LW: Acquired from the Bruins on March 7 for a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, Marchand had four points (two goals, two assists) in 10 regular-season games for the Panthers and has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 17 playoff games.

Tomas Nosek, LW: Signed as a free agent July 1, 2024, Nosek had nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 59 regular-season games and has three assists in 10 playoff games.

Sam Reinhart, C: Acquired from the Buffalo Sabres on July 24, 2021, for goalie Devon Levi and a first-round pick in the 2022 draft, Reinhart had 81 points (39 goals, 42 assists) in 79 regular-season games and has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 15 playoff games.

Evan Rodrigues, C: Signed as a free agent July 2, 2023, Rodrigues had 32 points (15 goals, 17 assists) in 82 regular-season games and has 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in 15 playoff games.

Mackie Samoskevich, RW: Selected in the first round (No. 24) of the 2021 NHL Draft, Samoskevich had 31 points (15 goals, 16 assists) in 72 regular-season games and has one assist in four playoff games.

Nico Sturm, C: Acquired from the San Jose Sharks on March 6, 2025, with a seventh-round pick in the 2027 draft for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, Sturm had one assist in 15 regular-season games for the Panthers and has no points in eight playoff games.

Matthew Tkachuk, LW: Acquired from the Calgary Flames on July 22, 2022, with a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft for forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Cole Schwindt, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar and a first-round pick in the 2025 draft, Tkachuk had 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in 52 regular-season games and has 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 17 playoff games.

Carter Verhaeghe, C: Signed as a free agent Oct. 9, 2020, Verhaeghe had 53 points (20 goals, 33 assists) in 81 regular-season games and has 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 17 playoff games.

DEFENSEMEN

Uvis Balinskis: Signed as a free agent April 18, 2023, Balinskis had 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 76 regular-season games and has one goal in five playoff games.

Aaron Ekblad: Selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, Ekblad had 33 points (three goals, 30 assists) in 56 regular-season games and has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 13 playoff games.

Gustav Forsling: Claimed off waivers from the Hurricanes on Jan. 9, 2021, Forsling had 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 80 regular-season games and has four points (one goal, three assists) in 17 playoff games.

Seth Jones: Acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks on March 1, with a fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft for goalie Spencer Knight and a first-round pick in 2026, Jones had nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 21 regular-season games for the Panthers and has seven points (three goals, four assists) in 17 playoff games.

Dmitry Kulikov: Signed as a free agent July 1, 2023, Kulikov had 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 70 regular-season games and has four points (one goal, three assists) in 17 playoff games.

Niko Mikkola: Signed as a free agent July 1, 2023, Mikkola had 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 76 regular-season games and has five points (three goals, two assists) in 16 playoff games.

Nate Schmidt: Signed as a free agent July 3, 2024, Schmidt had 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 80 regular-season games and has seven points (three goals, four assists) in 17 playoff games.

GOALIES

Sergei Bobrovsky: Signed as a free agent July 1, 2019, Bobrovsky was 33-19-2 with a 2.44 goals-against average, .906 save percentage and five shutouts in 54 regular-season games. He is 12-5 with a 2.11 GAA, .912 save percentage and three shutouts in 17 playoff games.

Vitek Vanecek: Acquired from the Sharks on March 5 for forward Patrick Giles, Vanecek was 2-4-1 with a 3.00 GAA, .890 save percentage and one shutout in seven regular-season games with the Panthers. He has not played this postseason.

COACHING STAFF

Paul Maurice, coach: Hired on June 22, 2022, Maurice previously coached the Winnipeg Jets for nine seasons from 2013-22. He also coached the Hartford Whalers/Hurricanes (1995-2004, 2008-12) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (2006-08). Maurice ranks second in NHL history in games coached (1,931) and is third in wins (916).

Myles Fee, assistant: Hired on Aug. 10, 2022, Lee spent the prior three seasons as video coach of the Sabres (2019-22).

Jamie Kompon, assistant: Hired on Aug. 10, 2022, Kompon previously was an assistant under Maurice with the Jets from 2016-22.

Sylvain Lefebvre, assistant: Hired on Aug. 10, 2022, Lefebvre previously spent three seasons as an assistant with San Diego of the American Hockey League from 2019-22.

Tuomo Ruutu, assistant: Hired on June 29, 2021, Ruutu previously was assistant director of player development for the New York Rangers from 2019-21.

Robb Tallas, goaltending coach: Hired prior to the 2009-10 season, Tallas has coached and trained goalies including Hockey Hall of Famer Roberto Luongo, Tomas Vokoun and Jose Theodore.

GENERAL MANAGER

Bill Zito: Hired to replace Dale Tallon on Sept. 2, 2020, Zito has helped build the roster that's made the postseason in each of his five seasons and had franchise highs of 58 wins and 122 points in 2021-22 to win the Presidents' Trophy as the team with the best record in the regular season. Zito has been named a Jim Gregory GM of the Year finalist four times in the past five seasons, including each of the past three. He was assistant GM of the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2013-19 and vice president of hockey operations from 2019-20.