Panthers kick off NHL season, hope to defend Stanley Cup title

Catch up quick: The Panthers lost some key players over the summer, like forwards Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan Lomberg and Nick Cousins.

• Defenders Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson are also not returning.

Yes, but: Florida still has its offensive firepower and big-name talent.

• The Panthers retained their top five goal scorers from last season, led by center Sam Reinhart, who signed an eight-year contract extension this summer.
• Left wing Matthew Tkachuk, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and center Aleksander Barkov also anchor the team.

The intrigue: Tampa Bay was the last team to win back-to-back Cups in 2021.

• "Certainly it's not easy, but we feel like we've got a good group of guys still that are hungry for more," Reinhart said last month. "The bunch of guys that we have in our locker room aren't taking this for granted."

Follow the money: Panthers tickets — the cheapest across the NHL last season — have reportedly gone up since winning the Stanley Cup.

• To avoid parking fees, many fans park at Sawgrass Mills across the street.