The Florida Panthers are one of the top teams in the NHL this season, with many around the world believing that they have a genuine chance of being able to win the Stanley Cup in the postseason.
Of course, we know that the Panthers have found it rather difficult in recent years to even get to the playoffs, with the team having only been able to reach this particular stage of the campaign on just four occasions in the last 20 years.
The last time they won a round in the postseason was in the 1995-96 season too, which happened to be in the third year of the team’s existence. Therefore, things have been pretty bleak for the Floridian outfit.
Nonetheless, this season has provided fans and the team with a sense of optimism, and that will have only recently been elevated following the NHL trade deadline, as the team managed to turn themselves into serious contenders with the acquisitions that they managed to make and have clearly gone all-in on their attempts to make history.
Giroux & Chiarot were acquired before the NHL trade deadline
Indeed, the Panthers managed to acquire Claude Giroux from the Philadelphia Flyers whilst also adding experienced defenseman Ben Chiarot from the Montreal Canadiens; a player who appeared in the Stanley Cup last season.
If anyone was doubting the Panthers, then they might want to reconsider their position, especially as they managed to capture one of the most highly coveted players of the trade deadline in the former Flyer.
Giroux is a quality forward who has a lot of experience and can be the man to help the organisation finally end their playoff hoodoo. Since arriving, he has already had an impact on the ice for his new team.
The 34-year-old managed to provide two assists in his first match against the Montreal Canadiens, before getting another two assists in the contest against the Ottawa Senators. You can expect to see him have a greater impact as he finds his feet on the ice in Florida and starts to heat up when the playoffs come around.
Giroux was an expensive trade for the Panthers as they had to provide the Flyers with a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft or 2025 NHL Draft, and a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, whilst also sending Owen Tippett to them.
Nonetheless, they did also receive forward prospects Connor Bunnaman and Geman Rubstov, as well as a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Panthers are in a solid position to reach the postseason
Naturally, the Panthers do still have a long way to go, however they are in a solid position in the Atlantic Division, with the team top with a record of 44-15-6. They lead the likes of the Tampa Bay Lightning (the current defending Stanley Cup Champions), the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Boston Bruins in one of the NHL’s toughest divisions.
The acquisitions of Giroux and Chiarot, though, could be the difference that the team needs to finally add some silverware to their list of honors!
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