Dmitry Kulikov

And really, they're like 1A and 1B because both pairings will eat up a ton of minutes.

And then you've got the Wiley vets and Kulikov and Gudis on their third pair with...

The returning Jacob Markstrom and goal.

The only two concerns or question marks I would have.

I know the list is not operating like that because you have the highest franchise scores that we've had, face of our franchise for a decade, behind a guy who, although an incredible playoff run, has played less than, what, 100 games for us? Right? And I get the cup thing with everybody.

I was surprised how high Kulikov is.

Like Kulikov is at 23.

Yeah.

I think longevity helps too for some of these guys.

Like, Kirby talked about it a lot.

That second run with the Panthers really saved Kulikov standing with this franchise because he was initially kind of like a draft boss, kind of.

Like, as Kirby used to say, hit the net, Kulikov, back in the early 2010s.

Volmani showed promise, but the depth chart is set.

Yuvis Balinskis and Niko Mikola are competing for the sixth defenseman spot, but Gutas and Kulikov seem locked in.

So, no surprises in the lineup tonight.

Just execution.

That will be rolled out for head coach Paul Maurice in tonight's season opener.

Nico Mikolas, Seth Jones will be that second defensive pair, and then Dmitry Kulikov and Radko Gudis will round it out, bringing the physicality, getting the bearded fella back for the Cats tonight.

I can't wait.

to see him in a regular season game again Jacob Markstrom will be in between the pipes for the Florida Panthers tonight in a game that Alexander Barkoff said he is very excited for he said happy to be able to play two games before that talking about the preseason so he kind of got into the rhythms what he said he said very excited to play meaningful games been waiting for that in a for a long time joke that uh he had to learn how to pack his suitcases again of course wasn't with the Florida Panthers last year missed the whole season due to injury but the new look Florida Panthers will get underway tonight and the final roster is here 21 players deep 12 of those being for the people that we have already mentioned seven defensemen for the Florida Panthers and two goalies so that is where it sits for the florida panthers and that seventh defenseman will be uvis belincas who we saw a lot with the florida panthers last year let's jump into a little bit more of a game day preview for you here and kind of give you some of the stats what you have to look forward to in tonight's game of course these two teams met up in the preseason twice but As we've said here on Florida Panthers Daily, wins and losses in the preseason do not matter.

It's not really the full picture.

They are really from last year adding Brady Kachuk, But adding Alexander Barkov, adding Seth Jones, adding Dmitry Kulikov, they brought back Radko Gudis.

I mean, they kind of fooled around, as Bill Zito always does with his fourth line, because you have to.

Because in a salary cap sport, when you win, you lose players, and you're going to try to pay the top of the roster.

The Devils didn't have nearly, I think, the depth of talent that the Panthers will now have this year.

And, of course, Bobrovsky last year played and backstopped the team that had nothing but injuries out in front of them.

I mean, imagine how much better he would have been if he had the Selke winner for back-to-back years playing in front of him or Seth Jones playing in front of him for more than, you know, 20 games if he had Dmitry Kulikov out there for more than 15 games.

So, I mean, you know, none of that is in a silo.

Sam Bennett missed some time.

Seth Jones, Dmitry Kulikov, and Niko Mikkola all dealt with injuries as well.

So I am looking at this as a bounce-back season for the Florida Panthers.

I know that after the playoffs, um, last year, I said that this team will be back.

So you've got that truculence factor, that physical factor still on this Florida Panthers squad.

The blue line, Forsling, Ekblad, Mikula, Jones, Kulikov, Gudis.

But the big question that I've got for this team, with Sergei Bobrovsky moving on to Toronto, and I know it was a down season for Bobrovsky.

It was a down season for the whole team, but Bobrovsky was part of it.

which means as of right now, the Florida Panthers could have $42 million in cap space to fill out nine roster spots.

So the situation for the Panthers then would be the expiring contract with Brady Kachuk, Dmitry Kulikov, and both goaltenders, along with Uvis Balinskis.

So looking at the situation for the Panthers, we know that eventually Brady Kachuk is going to be the highest paid Panther only for a few years.

But I just think of the goaltending situation where I was thinking once they made that break a truck trade and knowing that you had to pay him, the Panthers were going to have to do some bridge contracts again with goaltenders.