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This is a mutually agreed upon and amicable decision that is the best for both of us. Tommy and I have been doing WhyHockey together for many years and that work will continue in the new season, and stay tuned for updates on what you can expect from us shortly, but I didn’t want to leave anyone who subscribed here and not there in the dark about the change. I appreciate all of the subscribers who have listened to the podcast as well as read and commented on what I have written here, and I hope you’ll all follow that at WhyHockey and beyond.

I also want to thank Colby for taking me on last year, and though circumstances dictate that we can’t work together as we once did, I appreciated the opportunity to do what we did together and all of that work will remain here for those wanting to look back on it.

Please subscribe to WhyHockey and stick around here too, there’s plenty of good work to go around people to support no matter where they write or podcast. Thanks again to everyone, and I’ll see you over at WhyHockey.

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Seven months would be potentially during the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, while nine months would be in June, more than likely after the Stanley Cup Final. For salary cap purposes, the difference between being out until the playoffs and out for the entire season including the playoffs determines the amount of LTIR relief the team can get. If the Panthers believe Barkov can return at some point, they’d only receive LTIR relief equivalent to last year’s average salary, $3,817,293. They would only get his full salary of LTIR relief if he’s officially out for the regular season and playoffs, which the team did not mention in their announcement today.

The story from earlier this afternoon continues below:

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov had surgery this morning for a serious knee injury suffered yesterday in practice. There’s no timetable yet, but some reporting suggests he could miss the entire season.

“There’s no hiding it, that’s a hole,’’ Paul Maurice said of losing his captain. “That’s the big man. He is such an important piece in that locker room. What we’ll get to know now is some of the other leaders in the room. We’ll get to see other players and, at the end of the day, I know there’s the idea of ‘next man up,’ and I get all that. But there’s no a next-man for Barky’s skates. We just have to share it, spread it across the room and among the coaches. We have to share that.”

Maurice noted that it happened on a fluke play in practice that was unrelated to the 314 total games the Panthers played in the last three seasons.

“That’s why you can’t bubblewrap player, keep them out of games or save them,’’ Maurice added. “It can happen anywhere, can happen at practice.”

Maurice also said that when they have a firmer timeline on the injury and potential recovery time, they will give a full update.

“He’ll get looked at today,” Paul Maurice said. “I’ll have a better answer for you tomorrow.

“It’s beyond our control, so there’s no concern,” he added. “We have to learn to win a games without good players. If that’s the adversity or the test that we face this year, and that’s what we’re going to do. I not a doctor, so whatever the report is, won’t affect how we handle that next day. If he’s not in line up on Opening Night, or if he misses an exhibition game, or if he’s out long term, it’s just not going to affect that day. We’ve got win the hockey game. We got to prep for it. That’s all.”

The Panthers next preseason game is Monday night in Sunrise against the Hurricanes, when Maurice planned to play some of his NHL regulars for the first time. Barkov missed eight games last year due to a knee injury suffered in the second game of the season.

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Zito said he expects Tkachuk to be out until December-ish, “but don’t hold me to that”. Earlier in the day on WQAM, Paul Maurice said that Tkachuk would be out until “midseason”. Those aren’t necessarily different from each other, but shows that while the team has a general idea of when Tkachuk’s return range is, they don’t have any firm date at this time. Tkachuk was one of the first six players named to team USA’s Olympic roster, and so as long as his recovery goes well and is on schedule, he could be back before then. But for now, there still seems to be some considerable uncertainty on when Tkachuk will return from his offseason surgeries.

Additionally, Zito revealed a long term knee injury for center Tomas Nosek, who he said will be out “months for sure”. He suffered the injury during offseason training. With Nosek out, Luke Kunin and Tyler Motte, who is on a PTO, could be in contention among others to take over that fourth line center spot during his absence.

Courtesy of Litter Box Cats, the Panthers entire 72 man training camp roster can be seen here. They open their preseason Sunday in Nashville for a split squad doubleheader.

Who’s Back: Claude Giroux (1x$2m), Ridly Greig (4x$4.25m), Nick Cousins (1x$825k), Fabian Zetterlund (3x$4.28m), Tyler Kleven (2x$1.6m), Levi Merilainen (1x$1.05m)

Who’s New: Lars Eller (1x$1.25m), Jordan Spence (trade via LAK), Ollie Lycksell (two-way), Arthur Kaliyev (two-way)

Who’s Gone: Anton Forsberg, Travis Hamonic, Adam Gaudette

Cap Space (per PuckPedia): $3.5 million

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Who’s Back: Joel Hofer (2x$3.4m)

Who’s New: Pius Suter (2x$4.125m), Nick Bjugstad (2x$1.75m), Logan Mailloux (trade via MTL), Milan Lucic (PTO)

Who’s Gone: Nick Leddy, Ryan Suter, Radek Faksa, Zack Bolduc

Cap Space (per PuckPedia): $625k

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Since that piece was published, the NHL and NHLPA have decided to implement their new rules for LTIR in the regular season and playoff cap for this season, not next. How will these new rules affect how the roster looks on opening night and beyond? Do they have much new to do, or are the plans they have in a drawer ready for when Tkachuk returns still good enough? If they make the playoffs, are they going to be in trouble with the new playoff cap?

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If you’re wondering how Alex Galchenyuk and the Buffalo Sabres …

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Who’s Back: Gage Goncalves (2x$1.2m), Jonas Johansson (2x$1.25m)

Who’s New: Pontus Holmberg (2x$1.55m), Jakob Pelletier (3x$775k), Boris Katchouk, Sam O’Reilly (via EDM)

Who’s Gone: Isaac Howard, Conor Sheary, Nick Perbix, Luke Glendenning, Cam Atkinson

Cap Space (per PuckPedia): $1.18 million

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[Photo via NHL Network]

Who’s Back: Gabriel Vilardi (6x$7.5m), Dylan Samberg (3x$5.75m), Neal Pionk (6x$7m), Morgan Barron (2x$1.85m)

Who’s New: Jonathan Toews (1x$2m plus bonuses), Tanner Pearson (1x$1 million), Gustav Nyquist (1x$3.25m), Cole Koepke (1x$1m)

Who’s Gone: Nikolaj Ehlers, Mason Appleton, Brandon Tanev, Rasmus Kupari

Who’s Injured: Adam Lowry (hip, projected return: November-December)

Cap Space (per PuckPedia): $3.9 million

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[Photo via NHL.com]

Who’s Back: Jayden Struble (2x$1.4m), Jakub Dobes (2x$965k), Sean Farrell (1x$775k)

Who’s New: Noah Dobson (8x$9.5k, trade via NYI), Zach Bolduc (trade via STL), Joe Veleno (1x$900k), Kaapo Kahkonen (1x$1.1 million)

Who’s Gone: Michael Pezzetta, Joel Armia, Denis Savard, Christian Dvorak, Alex Barre-Boulet, Raphael Harvey-Pinard

Cap Space (per PuckPedia): -$5.9 million (before LTIR)

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Who’s Back: Brandon Saad (1x$2m), Reilly Smith (1x$2m). Kaedan Korczak (4x$3.25m starting 2026), Cole Schwindt (1x$825m)

Who’s New: Mitch Marner (8x$12m), Colton Sissons (trade via NSH), Jeremy Lauzon (trade via NSH), Jaycob Megna (2x$800k)

Who’s Gone: Nicolas Roy, Victor Olofsson, Nicolas Hague

Who’s Injured: Alex Pietrangelo (LTIR)

Cap Space (per PuckPedia): -$7.6 million (before LTIR)

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While the Panthers have been able to keep most of their 2025 Cup Champion on-ice roster in tact, a large part of their rise to success on the front office side is leaving for a new challenge. Team President and CEO Matt Caldwell is leaving the Panthers to become CEO of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx.

“These past nine years as CEO of the Florida Panthers have been the highlight of my professional career,” Caldwell said in a statement released by the team. “The Viola family has been a second family to me, and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have led this historic franchise turnaround. I am ready for my next challenge and couldn’t be more thrilled to bring our champion mindset to the Minnesota community. The Panthers franchise is in great hands with the executive team and hockey leadership in place and I will be cheering from afar as the team continues its championship run.”

Caldwell joined the Panthers in 2014 shortly after Vinnie Viola bought the team and became team President in 2016. He was part of the braintrust which hired Bill Zito in 2020 and played a major role in helping build the Panthers new practice facility in Fort Lauderdale.

“Since joining the Panthers in 2014, Matt has led by example, serving our employees, clients, fans and the South Florida community with passion and professionalism. His determination drove our franchise turnaround and helped instill a culture of excellence, and now he is ready for his next challenge. There are very few opportunities I would advise him to pursue, but working with Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore on a global platform like the NBA is at the top of that list,” said Viola. “It’s tremendously bittersweet for our family, but we recognize this is an exceptional opportunity and great next step in his career. Matt’s impact on our organization has been immeasurable and he leaves with our respect and gratitude.”

Caldwell’s impact on the Panthers can be seen on every facet of the organization. Under his leadership, the Panthers having been drive in record revenues from ticket sales including a season ticket waiting list, a new TV deal, arena sponsorships and much more. Without him, it’s unlikely the Panthers would be hosting the Winter Classic at LoanDepot Park and had hosted the All-Star Game in 2023.

Between the big events Caldwell had brought in and the new practice facility, hockey has grown tremendously in South Florida.

The rise of the on ice product goes hand in hand with the improvement in business operations, particularly for a team that gave away hundreds if not thousands of comped tickets when Caldwell joined the organization. He certainly leaves behind an extremely strong legacy, and has plenty to be proud of.

“You know, when we started, a lot of people didn’t take us seriously,” Caldwell told Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. “There were relocation rumors. There were attendance problems. But to see how Broward County in particular — our big partnership with them, their faith in us, and then all the fan base South Florida rallied behind us, we couldn’t have done this without them. They believed in our vision. It didn’t turn around right away — like anything in life that takes time — but to see kids wearing Panthers jerseys, the War Memorial and Ice Den packed with youth hockey, skating lessons, learn to play, all the community work we’ve done the years among us, program like that means so much to me because that’s changing lives and changing families. Obviously the Stanley Cups are amazing resume builders and have great experiences, but the long lasting impact of what hockey has meant to the local community is what I’m most proud of.”

Caldwell’s departure is just one of a handful of notable front office changes this offseason. Rob Stevenson has been promoted to COO, replacing Bryce Hollweg who has left the organization, and Mark Zarthar has been promoted to Chief Revenue Officer, replacing Shawn Thornton who has left to take a similar role with the Atlanta Hawks. Each of them will have big shoes to fill as the Panthers attempt to sustain and maintain what has been built on and off the ice over the last decade.

Caldwell leaves a large legacy and void for the organization to fill, but they hope their ability to replace players who leave for new challenges and teams can translate to the business side of the organization as well. There will no doubt be other teams across not just the NHL but all sports that will see what the Panthers have accomplished and decide they want something like that too, and the Panthers have to be ready for more changes like this in the future. But with what they’ve built, and their joy in seeing former Panthers thrive in new homes too, they’re as well set up for success in spite of the changes.

“There’s strong ownership that’s fully dedicated,” Caldwell told the Herald. “We have the whole roster coming back. [President of hockey operations and general manager Bill] Zito, [head coach Paul] Maurice, the hockey staff is signed up long term. We built out a strong front office. ... The sign of a good leader is when he leaves things in a good place, and I didn’t do my job if I didn’t leave this in the right hands.”

Who’s Back: Anthony Beauvillier (2x$2.75m), Martin Fehervary (7x$6m starting 2026), Hendrix Lapierre (1x$850k)

Who’s New: Declan Chisholm (via trade with ), Justin Sourdif (via trade with FLA)

Who’s Gone: Nicklas Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, Michael Sgarboosa, Lars Eller, Andrew Mangiapane, Ethan Bear

Cap Space (per PuckPedia): $4.1 million

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Who’s Back: Brock Nelson (3x$7.5m), Josh Manson (2x$3.95m starting 2026), Joel Kiviranta (1x$1.25m), Parker Kelly (4x$1.7m)

Who’s New: Brent Burns (1x$1m), Victor Olofsson (1x$1.58m), Gavin Brindley (via trade with CBJ)

Who’s Gone: Charlie Coyle, Jonathan Drouin, Ryan Lindgren

Cap Space (per PuckPedia): $1.33 million

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Who’s Back: John Tavares (4x$4.38m), Matthew Knies (6x$7.75m), Nick Robertson (1x1.825m), Steven Lorentz (3x$1.35m)

Who’s New: Matias Maccelli (trade via Utah), Nicolas Roy (trade via VGK), Dakota Joshua (trade via VAN), Henry Thrun (trade via SJS), Michael Pezzetta (2x$812k), Vinni Lettieri (1x$775k)

Who’s Gone: Mitch Marner, Matt Murray, Ryan Reaves, Pontus Holmberg, Max Pacioretty

Cap Space (per PuckPedia): $1.92 million

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Who’s Back: Mikko Rantanen (8x$12m), Jamie Benn (1x$1m), Matt Duchene (4x$4.5m), Radek Faksa (3x$2m), Colin Blackwell (2x$775k), Nils Lundkvist (1x$1.25k)

Who’s New: Vladislav Kolyachonok (traded via PIT), Nate Bastian (1x$775k)

Who’s Gone: Matt Dumba, Evgenii Dadonov, Mikael Granlund, Cody Ceci

Cap Space (per PuckPedia): $405,084

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As every sports fan does during the offseason, we tend to look back on our past and what we experienced during the ups and downs of our teams’ history.

ESPN tried to quantify that across all sports to find some of the most miserable fans in sports.

A Buffalo sports fan, for example, would rank pretty high up on its scale with the Sabres being the No. 1 most miserable NHL team, the Bills clocking in at No. 19 in the NFL despite a recent window of contention, and the neighboring Toronto Blue Jays sitting in in 12th amongst MLB teams.

South Florida sports fans are riding high right now, with the Panthers having the third-least miserable fanbase in the NHL and the Heat being the second-least miserable fanbase in the NBA. The Marlins (3rd) and Dolphins (10th) are both in the Top 10 of their respective sports, however.

So, what does the misery index say about the NHL — and what are some of the biggest surprises on the list?

Let’s check it out:

1. Buffalo Sabres

2. Columbus Blue Jackets

3. Detroit Red Wings

4. Ottawa Senators

5. Anaheim Ducks

6. Philadelphia Flyers

7. Calgary Flames

8. New Jersey Devils

9. New York Islanders

10. San Jose Sharks

11. Minnesota Wild

12. Toronto Maple Leafs

13. Vancouver Canucks

14. Winnipeg Jets

15. Carolina Hurricanes

16. Montreal Canadiens

17. Nashville Predators

18. New York Rangers

19. Dallas Stars

20. Edmonton Oilers

21. Washington Capitals

22. Boston Bruins

23. St. Louis Blues

24. Chicago Blackhawks

25. Los Angeles Kings

26. Seattle Kraken

27. Colorado Avalanche

28. Pittsburgh Penguins

29. Florida Panthers

30. Tampa Bay Lightning

31. Vegas Golden Knights

32. Utah Hockey Club (not listed)

Least Surprising

No. 1 — Buffalo Sabres

Not to beat a dead horse here, but the Sabres have not made the playoffs in nearly 15 years and have watched multiple former players go on to be key pieces to Stanley Cup winning teams.

Jack Eichel was arguably the best player on the Vegas’ Cup winning team in ‘23, Sam Reinhart had standout performances in both of Florida’s closeout victories in its back-to-back wins in ‘24 and ‘25, and Ryan O’Reilly won the Conn Smythe for the St. Louis Blues in 2019.

A lot of fans are too young to remember the Sabres’ run to the 1999 Cup Final, but even that run has a stain on it for older fans. If you see anyone older than 30 in Western New York, you might not want to say the words “foot in the crease” to them.

No. 31 — Vegas Golden Knights

It is no surprise that the NHL’s most spoiled child gets the least amount of pity from the misery index.

You missed the playoffs once in your franchise’s history? Boo hoo. You rebounded the next year and won the Stanley Cup after lucking into an insane run of goaltending from a guy you acquired for a late-round pick.

Vegas has been one of the league’s boldest teams — stopping at nothing to acquire star talent and assemble one of the best rosters in the league. Their latest move for Mitch Marner this offseason only further exemplifies that.

No. 28 — Pittsburgh Penguins

Yeah, the Penguins have missed the playoffs three years in a row now, but that comes after a 16-year long streak of postseason appearances — and one that includes three Stanley Cups.

The Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin-led Penguins terrorized the league for the entirety of the 2010s, peaking with back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. Everybody who grew up a fan of a Metropolitan Division (or previous rendition of the Atlantic Division) prior to the 2020s is not feeling any pity for the Yinzers as their contention window comes to a close.

Most Surprising

No. 3 — Detroit Red Wings

Sure, the Red Wings have been in the doldrums for the past decade, but anyone who has been watching hockey since the 1990s or the 2000s has to be wincing a bit after the long foothold they had on the league.

Detroit made 24-straight playoff appearances from 1990 to 2016 — the third-longest streak in the NHL and the only streak to span an entire stretch of years where the league had at least 20 teams.

The Red Wings won four Stanley Cups in that stretch, reaching the Cup Final a total of six times in that 24-year stretch. Sure, 10 years without playoff hockey is disappointing, but teams like the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders are giving Detroit a major side-eye for this ranking.

No. 8 — New Jersey Devils

Sure, the Devils have been one of the NHL’s most mediocre teams ever since their last Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2012, but we’re not that far removed from their era of dominance, right?

New Jersey won three Stanley Cups from 1995 to 2003, making it to the Final twice more before their eventual fall-off. But even now, they have started to break away from their somewhat long rebuilding window.

Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier led the Devils to the playoffs twice in the past three years, and although injuries have proven to be a hinderance multiple times, they have the potential to be a contender now and in the future.

The past decade has been tough for New Jersey, but not enough for a slot in the Top 10.

No. 9 — New York Islanders

Sure, their back-to-back appearances in the Eastern Conference final gave Islanders fans a short period of success, but that shouldn’t be enough to mask the stench of the 1990s and the 2000s.

The Islanders held the longest drought without a playoff series win from 1993 up until 2016, when they defeated the Florida Panthers in a 2OT Game 6 victory riddled with controversy, and sank into becoming one of the league’s most mediocre teams following 2021.

The ending of their 2021 Conference final run was particularly painful. They lost 1-0 to the Tampa Bay Lightning with the lone goal coming from Yanni Gourde at a point where they appeared to have too many men on the ice. The battered Montreal Canadiens were waiting in the Stanley Cup Final and were easily dispatched by the Lightning.

Instead of lifting the Cup, the Islanders were sent into a four-year stretch of mediocrity, including multiple seasons riddled by injuries. The arrival of Matthew Schaefer brings some optimism, but that only comes after a period of suffering worthy of a spot in the Top 5.

Subscriber Exclusive: How Miserable Was Colby?

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