Panthers battle the playoff-bound Islanders with a depleted roster. Can they overcome mounting injuries to secure a win on Long Island?
The Florida Panthers are in New York for a quick weekend back-to-back set against the two teams that play on the east side of the Hudson River.
All the fun will begin Saturday when Florida lines up against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena in Elmont.
Florida arrives on Long Island with an injury-riddled roster, most recently losing forward Evan Rodrigues to a broken finger.
He joins the Panthers’ CVS receipt of an injured list, which features Sasha Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, Anton Lundell, Niko Mikkola, Uvis Balinskis, Jonah Gadjovich, and Cole Schwindt.
Youngster Mackie Samoskevich, who has missed each of the past three games after suffering a laceration on his neck, could be back in the lineup on Saturday.
As for the Islanders, they are pushing hard for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Entering play Saturday, New York holds the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with 87 points, one point ahead of both the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings.
They are also tied in points with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are third in the Metropolitan Division, and one point behind Pittsburgh for second place.
The Panthers, meanwhile, remain in a fight to retain their top-10 protected first-round pick.
Currently the Cats hold the eighth-worst record, one point behind the Seattle Kraken and two back of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Saturday’s showdown on Long Island:
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Mackie Samoskevich – Eetu Luostarinen – Jesper Boqvist
Cole Reinhardt – Tomas Nosek – Vinnie Hinostroza
Nolan Foote – Luke Kunin – Noah Gregor
Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Dmitry Kulikov – Seth Jones
Donovan Sebrango – Mike Benning
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Photo caption: Mar 1, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) skates with the puck defended by New York Islanders defenseman Tony DeAngelo (77) during the third period at UBS Arena. (Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images)