Fans of the Florida Panthers are in an enviable situation. Not only is the team back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions, which is amazing in and of itself, but the club’s roster is full of high-end players in the prime years of their career and they are all signed to long-term deals. That means that Cats fans can feel confident in shelling out large amounts of cash to get a jersey with their favorite player’s name and number on the back, as odds are that player is going to be with the team for quite a while. When looking at Florida’s core, an interesting thought occurred recently. How many players on the Panthers current roster will end up with their jersey number hanging in the rafters? Currently, Florida’s only retired numbers are 1, 37 and 93. The 93 is for Bill Torrey, the team’s first president, and 37 is for team founder and original owner Wayne Huizenga. No. 1 is for Roberto Luongo, the only actual player to have his jersey number retired by the team. That is surely going to change sometime in the future, and we’re currently watching the player or players who will be immortalized in Panthers lore once they hang up their skates. But who could it be? Over the coming days, THN Florida will make a potential case for several players currently on Florida’s roster who could end up being the last to wear their respective numbers for the franchise. The first player is probably the most obvious choice on the roster, and that’s Florida captain Sasha Barkov. In all likelihood, Barkov will play the entirety of his NHL career with the Panthers. Drafted second overall by Florida at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Barkov was in the lineup for the following Opening Night. He scored his first NHL goal that night in Dallas and has been a mainstay atop the forward ranks ever since. Barkov was named the tenth captain in Panthers history prior to the 2018-19 season and has developed into the league’s best two-way forward, earning Selke Trophies in 2021, 2024 and 2025. At it stands, Barkov leads the team in almost every significant statistical category. He’s the Panthers franchise leader in games played, goals, assists, points, shots on goal, power play goals, even strength goals and game-winning goals. Barkov is also the only Florida captain to lead the team to a Stanley Cup championship, becoming the first ever Finnish-born captain to hoist the Cup in the process. Barkov is Florida’s highest paid forward but still carries a reasonable (for a superstar) $10 million AAV (average annual value). That contract expires following the 2029-30 season, when Barkov will be 34 years old. It’s hard to imagine Barkov, who is as good of a person off the ice as he is a player on the ice, not becoming a Panthers lifer whose jersey hangs in the rafters forever. As we get further down the potential retired number list, there will be more to debate than there is with Barkov. Stay tuned to see who we discuss next. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Ekblad, Forsling or Petry? Who's Best Suited To Run The Panthers Second Power Play Unit [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/ekblad-forsling-or-petry-who-s-best-suited-to-run-the-panthers-second-power-play-unit] Happy Three Year Anniversary to the trade that brought Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/happy-three-year-anniversary-to-the-trade-that-brought-matthew-tkachuk-to-the-florida-panthers] Can Florida Panthers' Anton Lundell Take The Next Step If One Really Doesn't Exist? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/can-florida-panthers-anton-lundell-take-the-next-step-if-one-really-doesn-t-exist] Amazing summer for Matthew Tkachuk gets even better with joyful wedding, Stanley Cup day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/amazing-summer-for-matthew-tkachuk-gets-even-better-with-joyful-wedding-stanley-cup-day] Looking back at each Panthers postgame victory puck moment from latest Stanley Cup run [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/looking-back-at-each-panthers-postgame-victory-puck-moment-from-latest-stanley-cup-run] Photo caption: Jun 12, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov (16) skates between play during the third period against the Edmonton Oilers in game four of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)
