The success the Charlotte Checkers have had in recent years is a reflection of the winning culture the Florida Panthers built. It’s allowed prospects to join the NHL team ready to play and become vital parts of the back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. 

Their winning environment was on full display in 2025 when the Panthers won the Stanley Cup, and the Checkers were in the Calder Cup Final. They almost became the first organization since the New Jersey Devils in 1995 to win a championship at the AHL and NHL level in the same season. Those playoff runs came at a cost for the Checkers, who started last season slowly and were a different team. 

It’s become the story in Charlotte. They have a new team every season and a tough road ahead, tougher than most teams because they are on an island travel-wise in the Atlantic Division. It’s why Geordie Kinnear, who is the longest-tenured head coach in the AHL, is the right leader for the Checkers and ready to put them back in the Calder conversation again. 

Stats from 2025-26:

Record: 44-23-5 (3rd in the Atlantic Division, 3rd in the Eastern Conference & tied for 5th in the AHL)

Offense: 3.30 goals per game (7th in the AHL)

Defense: 2.59 goals per game (tied for 4th in the AHL)

The Panthers depleted their prospect pool over the years. It’s what’s expected from a team that’s in win-now mode, where they have a window to win the Cup and will make a push to do so. The Brady Tkachuk trade wasn’t a surprise, and fans would have been more shocked if they used the ninth overall pick to select a work-in-progress prospect. 

It might catch up to them eventually, with the Checkers feeling the talent drain first. The Checkers have been one of the top teams in the AHL in recent years but without the prospect pipeline and players like Wilmer Skoog and Mike Benning signing elsewhere, they might take a step back. 

The good news is that the Checkers have a great veteran presence even without all the turnover this summer. Plus, they are a well-coached team with Kinnear running a unique high-pressure and high-volume system that is hard to learn but effective once the players buy into it. 

Add it all up, and this is another season of adjustments for the Checkers. Remaining at the top of the Atlantic Division won’t be easy, and this could be the season they fall apart. However, the culture the Panthers, with the help of Kinnear, built provides confidence they’ll remain great. 

The Checkers still have many veterans who have been around since the 2025 playoff run. Mackenzie Entwistle and Tobias Bjornfot are two of the veterans who have become key parts of the roster, and the Sam Lafferty addition gives them a reliable scoring presence in their top six.  

Speaking of Lafferty, he’s one of the handful of players the Checkers brought in this offseason to keep them competitive. Casey Fitzgerald is back in Charlotte and a staple of the defense, while Boko Imama is an enforcer for the fourth line. Plus, the Checkers acquired Emil Pieniniemi from the Pittsburgh Penguins organization with the hopes that the 21-year-old defenseman develops into an elite prospect. 

The Checkers also play with the long game in mind. Yes, they play a system that backfires sometimes, and they will have their growing pains early on, just like they do every season. However, they’ll end the season as a tough team to play against and set up for another playoff run. 

Sandis Vilmanis is a borderline NHLer at this point. He has 38 points in 48 AHL games and spent time with the Panthers last season. So, he could be a high-impact Checker but it’s more likely he’ll be in the NHL. 

The forward prospect to watch is Jack Devine, who impressed as a rookie with 43 points in 63 games. Devine was a seventh-round pick in the 2022 draft, yet his skill might turn him into a depth player for the Panthers someday. 

Matvei Shuravin is joining the Panthers after playing overseas. He’s one of their top defense prospects but like many defensemen who come over from Europe, it will take time for him to learn the North American game. It’s why Shuravin will likely spend the entire season with the Checkers. 

The wild card in the prospect pool is Cooper Black. The 25-year-old goaltender isn’t a prospect per se but it took time for him to develop, and he’s finally hitting his stride. What stands out about Black is that he’s 6-foot-9 and makes a lot of saves because of his frame, even if he’s out of position. He’s still an inconsistent goaltender but is becoming someone to keep an eye on (and who knows, maybe the Panthers will need a backup).