The 2026-27 NHL season is almost here, and Tommy and I are back to sink our teeth into previewing the upcoming Panthers season from a bunch of different angles. We have questions we’re trying to answer on this show, including:
6:30: A brief note on Teddy Richards
12:45: Question 1 - How will we know that the Panthers are physically, mentally and emotionally sharp again after a season in which they weren’t sharp in any of these areas?
26:00: Question 2 - What will Brady Tkachuk’s role be when the Panthers reach the end of the season? How will you know that his role has been defined and what might that look like?
39:45: Tommy makes an incredible point on how Brady Tkachuk’s role impacts Barkov and whichever center he plays with.
45:20: Questions 3/4 - Can the Panthers rebuild/recreate the defensive environment that has won them two Cups? How do the two new goalies play into this?
1:01:30: Can Seth Jones work his way into Norris consideration? Hear us out, we’re not that crazy.
1:07:00: Question 5 - Is the motivation of new guys in the room, new guys without Cups in the room, enough to carry them during moments when they need the lift?
1:13:30: Quickie standings predictions for the Panthers
Enjoy the show!
Thanks for reading Whyhockey Periodical! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Remember that the Substack is your new full time home for the podcast, Matt’s written pieces and much more, so be sure to subscribe if you haven’t yet! Enjoy the show and please give it a five star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!
Apple Podcasts:
Spotify:
Follow us on social media:
Matt Lichtenstadter is @MattsMusings1 on Bluesky and Twitter, @mattlichtenstadter on Instagram
WhyHockey is @WhyHockey on Twitter
Intro and outro music is “Arcade Montage” by Lee Rosevere from his album “Music for Podcasts 3”, which you can find here: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lee-rosevere/music-for-podcasts-beats/arcade-montage/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whyhockey.substack.com
