Hobbled Panthers Preparing To Host Seattle With Depleted Lineup
Injuries mount as the Panthers host the Kraken, a critical matchup impacting lottery odds and future draft picks.
The Florida Panthers have only six home games remaining on their 2025-26 schedule. They’ll play the first of those six – which all come bunched up in three separate two-game homestands – on Tuesday night when the Seattle Kraken come to town. It’s been a disappointing season for both the Panthers and the Kraken.
We’re all well aware of why Florida has had a down year, and that’s due to the seemingly never ending list of injuries suffered by Panthers players over the past six months. Entering play Tuesday, the Panthers basically need binoculars when looking at the playoff race. Florida trails the New York Islanders, who hold the second Wild Card spot, by 14 points, with two games in hand.
The focus when looking at the standings has shifted to Florida’s spot in the NHL’s lottery order. That’s because the Panthers’ 2026 first-round pick is lottery protected. So while yes, Florida did trade that same draft pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in the deal that brought Seth Jones to the Panthers, it turns out that the selection is top-10 protected.
That means when the dust settles on the season and the NHL Draft Lottery, which usually comes the same night the Stanley Cup Playoffs begins, if the Panthers’ pick as among the top 10, they will keep it and instead send their 2027 first-round pick to Chicago. Currently, the Panthers are among the 10 worst teams in the league, tied with Seattle and the Toronto Maple Leafs with 71 points apiece for the eighth-worst point totals. Toronto has played two more games than Florida and Seattle, for what its worth.