The Florida Panthers have arrived in Alberta and are set to continue their final western road trip of the season with a quick back-to-back set. Before heading to Calgary, the Panthers will make a stop in a familiar barn on Thursday night when they face the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place. Those good memories will likely be welcomed by the Cats. It’s been a tough season for the Panthers, both overall and recently, with Florida having lost each of the first two games on their four-game trip by a combined score of 11-4. Standings-wise, the focus has shifted from looking up at the playoff race to looking down toward the lottery battle. Entering play Thursday, there are six teams with fewer points than Florida’s 69, and one (Nashville) with the same amount. There are also four teams just ahead of the Panthers who are within two points of Florida. This is all significant because the Panthers 2026 first-round pick, which they initially traded last March to Chicago in the Seth Jones deal, is top-10 protected and will stay with Florida if they finish in among the league’s 10 worst teams. That may be what we’re keeping tabs on in South Florida, but up in Edmonton they’re still very much alive in their quest to finally get over the hump and win a Stanley Cup after coming up just short in each of the past two years. The Oilers are currently in second place in the Pacific Division, sandwiched between the first-place Anaheim Ducks, who hold a one-point edge over Edmonton, and the always-dangerous Vegas Golden Knights, sitting one point back in third. Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Thursday’s tangle with the Oilers: Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Mackie Samoskevich A.J. Greer – Tomas Nosek – Cole Reinhardt Nolan Foote – Luke Kunin – Vinnie Hinostroza Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones Dmitry Kulikov – Mike Benning Extras: Jesper Boqvist, Uvis Balinskis, Evan Rodrigues, Donovan Sebrango Sam Reinhart (not on trip) LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Bill Zito Appointed To Fort Lauderdale's Museum Of Discovery And Science Board Of Trustees [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/bill-zito-appointed-to-fort-lauderdale-s-museum-of-discovery-and-science-board-of-trustees] Brad Marchand's Season Could Be Over As Panthers Place Him On LTIR [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/brad-marchand-s-season-could-be-over-as-panthers-place-him-on-ltir] Panthers Come Up Short In Vancouver, Lose 5-2 To League-Worst Canucks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-come-up-short-in-vancouver-lose-5-2-to-league-worst-canucks] Seth Jones, Sam Bennett To Return From Injury, Nolan Foote Making Panthers Debut In Vancouver [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/seth-jones-sam-bennett-to-return-from-injury-nolan-foote-making-panthers-debut-in-vancouver] Goaltender Kirill Gerasimyuk Sets Panthers AHL Record [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/goaltender-kirill-gerasimyuk-sets-panthers-ahl-record] Photo caption: Jun 14, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Opening face-off between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers during the first period in game five of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. (Sergei Belski-Imagn Images)
