Who Can Beat the Florida Panthers in the East?
It is never too early about the upcoming NHL season. Training camps open in about a month. There are still some RFAs out there that need contracts. But the focus is on who can beat the Florida Panthers who just won the Stanley Cup.
TSN Overdrive Host Bryan Hayes joined SportsCenter to prepare for the 2024-25 NHL season. When asked who the biggest threat to the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers was in the Eastern Conference, he responded that it was the New York Rangers.
** NHLRumors.com transcriptions
Host: “I’m back with Brian Hayes. Hayes, let’s look ahead to the NHL season. Which team in the Eastern Conference is the biggest threat to the Florida Panthers?”
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Brian Hayes: “I think it’s a lot like the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL, Scully, where, I’d argue it’s themselves. I think it’s the Florida Panthers themselves. Do they run into injuries? Do they get complacent? But pushing Florida aside in talking about who’s going to challenge them. I’ll go with the team they met in the Eastern Final and that would be the New York Rangers.
The Rangers have a ton of talent and a ton of depth, and they have a good fusion upfront of veterans like Zibanejad and Panarin and younger players. Filip Chytil who’s a really good player was hurt a lot last year. They have a great top-four defense, and on any given night, Igor Shesterkin can be the best goaltender in the world. I’m also a big fan of Peter Laviolette as a head coach. His Cup experience. He’s won one. He’s been to multiple cups.
I think Florida is still the clear-cut favorite. Very difficult to go to three straight Cup finals, albeit Tampa just did it a couple of years ago. But if I had to pick one team to chase down the Champs as of today, it would be the New York Rangers in the East.”
Host: “They made a really good run last year, too.”
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Do you agree that it is the New York Rangers who could beat the Florida Panthers in the East, or could it be somebody else?
