The Florida Panthers’ top nine is fairly solidified, leaving just three spots on the fourth line with nearly six players more than capable of earning those roles. With that, we’ll look at the case for those players to be on the opening-night roster in a fourth-line role.
Although the Florida Panthers’ 2025-26 season was filled with injuries and led to them missing the playoffs, there were some upsides.
With players like Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, and Anton Lundell missing extended periods of time, it allowed players like Cole Reinhardt, Cole Schwindt, and Sandis Vilmanis to earn advanced roles in the Panthers bottom six.
Additionally, it allowed players like Jesper Boqvist, A.J. Greer and Evan Rodrigues to move up in the lineup.
As we enter the 2026 off-season, the Panthers’ top nine, barring any trades or free-agent moves, feels pretty solidified.
Down the middle, it will see Aleksander Barkov man the top line, with Anton Lundell and Sam Bennett centering the middle six. On the left wing, it will be Carter Verhaeghe, Eetu Luostarinen, and, if re-signed, Mackie Samoskevich, with Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, and Brad Marchand skating on the right wing.
That leaves just three roster spots on the fourth line with several players more than deserving of earning a spot.
To begin, it seems like Greer is all but done in Florida. He’s expected to hit the UFA market, and while that doesn’t rule out re-signing, teams will likely be eager to offer him a contract the Panthers can’t match.
With Greer out of the picture, that leaves the Panthers with Rodrigues, Boqvist, Vilmanis, Schwindt, Reinhardt, and Jonah Gadjovich. Veteran center Tomas Nosek is a UFA, but he remains a possibility on the fourth line. Of the six players mentioned, Schwindt is the only player in need of a contract, but he is a pending RFA, so the Panthers own his rights.
So that leads us to the question: who should start the season on the fourth line? Each player has a case, so let’s mull it over.
Rodrigues is the most experienced player in the group and has shown the versatility to play up and down the lineup. He’s been a part of the Stanley Cup-winning teams and has earned every right to start the season in the lineup.
Vilmanis is a young, physical winger with a nice scoring touch. He demonstrated plenty of excellent traits in his 19 games with the Panthers, but his performances in the AHL, Olympics, and World Championships truly showed everything he brings to the table. A homegrown talent who is just 22 years old makes a lot of sense to keep in the lineup.
Schwindt earned the trust of Paul Maurice very quickly, as he had with the Vegas Golden Knights and Bruce Cassidy previously. He’s a defensively responsible center with a solid physical frame.
Reinhardt and Boqvist bring very similar elements. They are both speedy left-handed winger who look to push the pace. Reinhardt had a strong showing with the Panthers at the end of the season, scoring six goals and eight points in 15 games. As for Boqvist, his offensive numbers were underwhelming, notching just four goals and 13 points in 73 games, but he has the versatility to move to the middle of the ice and play a safe game for the Panthers.
Finally, Gadjovich had his season derailed by a major injury. After just 10 games, Gadjovich went down with an injury and never returned to the lineup. Gadjovich plays a different game from the players already mentioned. While they bring speed and skill, Gadjovich is a hard-nosed player looking to mix it up physically as often as he can. He won’t ever light it up offensively or surprise you with a game-changing play, but he plays his role and does so efficiently.
Luke Kunin and Nosek remain options to be re-signed, but after a difficult first season with the Panthers for Kunin, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them go their separate ways. As for Nosek, injuries hampered his season, and at 33 years old, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Panthers go in a different direction.
An NHL team is allowed to carry 23 players on its roster. Forwards take 12, defensemen occupy six, and two are taken by goaltenders, leaving three healthy scratch spots. Of the six players mentioned, only Vilmanis is waiver-exempt, which likely means he’s destined to start the season in the AHL, even if he is more than deserving of being on the opening-night roster.
If the fourth line is a combination of Reinhardt, Rodrigues, and Gadjovich, Boqvist and Schwindt would start the season as healthy scratches, likely alongside another defenseman, such as Donovan Sebrango.
It will be a tough decision for coach Paul Maurice, but having too much depth is never a bad thing.
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