Which Panthers players would go full William Karlsson if Florida won the Stanley Cup?

Saturday night the Vegas Golden Knights held their Stanley Cup Championship parade.

Fans lined the Vegas Strip as players rode cars and buses while celebrating and enjoying the day.

It’s no surprise to see some of those players get a little sauced up. It happens every year in every sport at every celebration.

Some players will take their good time to the extreme, whether that means getting a little rowdy with the hardware (in recent years the Stanley Cup has been dented and the NFL’s Vince Lombardi trophy has been tossed around like a football during a boat parade) or just enjoying a few drinks with their best friends.

Golden Knights forward William Karlsson sure seemed to be having a blast on Saturday night when he took the mic on stage and addressed the thousands upon thousands of fans that had congregated outside T-Mobile Arena.

Check it out here:

Karlsson’s impromptu speech was spectacularly sloppy in a glorious way.

The dude just won the Stanley Cup and was in a parade IN LAS VEGAS to celebrate his accomplishments.

If there was ever a time to lean into the moment, that was it.

So Karlsson went on, and on, and on, and that was despite the best efforts of what appeared to be a Vegas staffer who tried to get Karlsson to wrap his speech up before eventually taking his microphone away.

At the end of the day, this is all in good fun for a group of athletes who just gave every inch of their being in order to achieve the ultimate goal.

It’s also hard to see this and not think of the Florida Panthers, who were just three wins shy of having their own championship parade.

The Panthers are a team that should be able to compete for a title in the coming years, with a strong core of young, talented players and a front office staff widely considered one of the best in the league.

Watching Karlsson and his teammates have an absolute blast on stage, it makes you wonder what that scene would look like if it were the Panthers who were doing the celebrating.

Until the moment arrives, it’s impossible to know for sure how each player would react, but it can be fun to predict.

With that in mind, here are a few Panthers players split into three categories: Guys who could potentially cut loose like Karlsson and Nikita Kucherov and Alex Ovechkin and so many before them, guys who probably wouldn’t go that route, and a few wildcards that could be envisioned going either route.

I COULD SEE IT

Ryan Lomberg – One of the wildest, loudest and most fun-loving players on the Panthers. It’s easy to see Lomby cutting loose after winning a championship.

Matthew Tkachuk – Florida’s unquestioned playoff leader. Could he take the more diplomatic route and stay away from the extra few beers before grabbing the mic? Sure. When he wins his fifth Cup in ten years, perhaps then he’ll go full Tom Brady.

Nick Cousins – Fun guy, great personality, beloved by his teammates and not afraid to say a few words. Have at it, Cuzzie. 

PROBABLY NOT

Sasha Barkov – Does this really need an explanation?

Sam Reinhart – One of the more reserved guys on the Panthers, it’s hard to see Reino giving a Karlsson-eqsue speech.

Aaron Ekblad – As much as I would just love to see Ekblad shed his inhibitions and have at it in this situation, It’s hard to envision that happening. 

WILDCARDS

Radko Gudas – It might be a little scary to see Gudas cut loose like this. Just ask Joseph Woll. 

Anthony Duclair – The Duke knows how to have a good time and his constant positive vibes can be infectious. Hard to say whether he’d let himself get like that in that public of a setting though, and I certainly wouldn’t blame him for keeping that thought in mind.

Brandon Montour – A guy who can be on the tame side but who can also get pretty rowdy and have some fun while on the ice, he strikes as the kind of man who knows how to have a good time, when he deems it appropriate.

Anton Lundell – There’s just something about Lundell. He’s got a sneaky sharp sense of humor, and who knows, he might have some interesting things to say if handed a microphone.