The 2025-26 NHL season opens Tuesday night in Sunrise, Florida, where the defending Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers begin their quest for another deep playoff run against a youthful and rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks squad.
The puck drops at 5 p.m. EDT on ESPN as the Panthers look to set the tone early after a strong 47-31-4 campaign last season that included a dominant 33-15-3 mark at Amerant Bank Arena.
Florida enters Opening Night without several key offensive stars. Captain Aleksander Barkov is expected to miss 7–9 months after suffering a knee injury in practice on Sept. 25, while star winger Matthew Tkachuk remains sidelined until at least December with a lower-body injury. Forward Tomas Nosek is also out long term with a knee issue.
Despite the setbacks, Florida’s depth will once again be tested. Eetu Luostarinen, Anton Lundell, and Sam Reinhart form the new top line, while veteran additions Brad Marchand and Evan Rodrigues are expected to help stabilize the offense.
Defensively, the Panthers remain strong with Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling anchoring the top pairing. Newcomer Seth Jones, acquired in an offseason trade, will make his Florida debut alongside Niko Mikkola. Sergei Bobrovsky, coming off another elite season, will start in goal.
Florida’s power play, which converted on 23.8% of its chances last season (56-for-235), will be a key factor again as they look to maintain offensive pressure despite the absence of two of their biggest scorers.
For Chicago, the storyline centers around goaltender Spencer Knight, who is slated to start against his former team for the first time since being traded from Florida to the Blackhawks on March 1. Knight, 24, will be looking to re-establish himself as a full-time NHL starter after a challenging end to his Panthers tenure.
The Blackhawks, who finished 25-46-11 last season, enter with cautious optimism built around 2023 No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard. The 20-year-old center headlines Chicago’s top line between Andre Burakovsky and Ryan Donato and will look to ignite an offense that averaged just 2.7 goals per game a season ago.
Rookie forward Frank Nazar joins veterans Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen on the second line, providing a mix of youth and experience. Defensively, Chicago’s blue line features promising young talent in Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel, alongside veteran leader Connor Murphy.
Defenseman Alex Vlasic will miss the game after sustaining a deep cut to the back of his leg during preseason, while Landon Slaggert and Joey Anderson are also out with lower-body injuries.
Projected Lineups
Blackhawks
Forwards:
Andre Burakovsky — Connor Bedard — Ryan Donato
Tyler Bertuzzi — Frank Nazar — Teuvo Teravainen
Ilya Mikheyev — Jason Dickinson — Colton Dach
Nick Foligno — Ryan Greene — Sam Lafferty
Defensemen:
Matt Grzelcyk — Sam Rinzel
Wyatt Kaiser — Artyom Levshunov
Ethan Del Mastro — Connor Murphy
Goalie:
Spencer Knight
Scratched: Alex Vlasic, Louis Crevier, Lukas Reichel
Injured: Landon Slaggert (lower body), Joey Anderson (lower body)
Panthers
Forwards:
Eetu Luostarinen — Anton Lundell — Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe — Sam Bennett — Brad Marchand
Mackie Samoskevich — Evan Rodrigues — Jesper Boqvist
A.J. Greer — Luke Kunin — Jonah Gadjovich
Defensemen:
Gustav Forsling — Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola — Seth Jones
Dmitry Kulikov — Jeff Petry
Goalie:
Sergei Bobrovsky
Scratched: Uvis Balinskis, Cole Schwindt
Injured: Aleksander Barkov (knee), Matthew Tkachuk (lower body), Tomas Nosek (knee)
What to Watch
Knight vs. Bobrovsky: The student faces the mentor as Knight goes up against his former goaltending partner.
Panthers’ Depth Test: With Barkov and Tkachuk sidelined, how Florida’s secondary scorers respond could define the early season.
The Panthers are expected to enter as heavy favorites on home ice, but the intrigue of Knight’s return and Chicago’s youthful energy could make Opening Night more competitive than the numbers suggest.
The 2025-26 NHL season begins with a clash of eras — Florida’s seasoned contenders versus Chicago’s rising rebuild — setting the tone for what promises to be another thrilling year of hockey.
