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By Anthony Carbone, The Hockey News intern.

It has been more than 40 years since an NHL team hoisted the Stanley Cup three years in a row. The last club to achieve this feat was the New York Islanders, from 1980 to 1983, capturing four consecutive championships in an era defined by bruising physicality, roster stability, and a grueling playoff grind.

Since then, hockey has undergone significant changes. The salary cap, free agency, and increasing parity have made dynasties almost impossible. Yet, the Florida Panthers stand one title away from joining one of the most exclusive clubs in hockey history.

The Panthers’ back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025 were anything but flukes. In 2023, they came in as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, riding a late-season surge to shock the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston Bruins in the first round. Led by Aleksander Barkov’s two-way dominance, Matthew Tkachuk’s clutch heroics, and Sergei Bobrovsky’s resurgent goaltending, they bulldozed their way to a Stanley Cup Final only to lose to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.

The following year, Florida entered the playoffs as a top seed, dispatching their opponents with ruthless efficiency to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup. And in this past season, the Panthers proved that you don’t need high-end talent to win championships as they defeated Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers in back-to-back seasons to win two consecutive Stanley Cups. 

What makes the Panthers a legitimate three-peat threat isn’t just their star power – it’s their depth and identity. Paul Maurice’s squad plays a relentless, structured game, built on forechecking pressure, disciplined defensive positioning, and the ability to roll four lines without a major drop-off. Barkov remains one of the league’s premier two-way centers, Tkachuk is among the NHL’s most impactful power forwards, and Bobrovsky, now a two-time Cup-winning goaltender, has rediscovered the consistency that once earned him two Vezina Trophies.

Management has also played a pivotal role. General manager Bill Zito has managed the cap with precision, keeping the Panthers’ core intact while making shrewd depth additions. Gustav Forsling has emerged as an elite, underrated defenseman. Sam Bennett developed into a star as he won the Conn Smythe Trophy in these past playoffs, along with Sam Reinhart scoring at an elite rate, and Barkov’s elite defensive awareness, making this team look unstoppable. And with the additions of Brad Marchand making his presence known in these playoffs, and Seth Jones, proving that the Panthers have a dangerous team.

The Panthers looked to be losing key players in this off-season, like Bennett, Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad to free agency, but Zito had other plans. In a masterclass free agency, Zito managed to keep all three of his UFAs, and the 2025 Stanley Cup champions will head into this season with virtually the same team. In a league where depth often determines playoff survival, Florida is well-equipped.

But history warns how difficult this task will be. Even the most dominant teams of the salary cap era – the 1997-98 Red Wings, 2016-17 Penguins, and 2020-21 Lightning – fell short in their quest for a third straight Cup. The wear and tear of back-to-back deep playoff runs is brutal. Players fight through injuries, opponents adjust to their systems, and hunger can fade after consecutive triumphs.

The Panthers also face a dangerous Eastern Conference landscape. While the New York Rangers are loaded with skill and goaltending, the Carolina Hurricanes remain a possession juggernaut, and the Toronto Maple Leafs still have the firepower to upset anyone in a seven-game series. Out West, teams like the Dallas Stars, the Oilers, and the Colorado Avalanche loom as potential final opponents with the talent to break Florida’s run.

Still, the Panthers possess something that can’t be manufactured: championship experience. They know the grind, the mental fortitude, and the sacrifices needed to survive four rounds. They’ve proven they can win as underdogs and as favourites, in high-scoring shootouts and tight, low-event defensive battles. That adaptability is rare, and it might be their greatest weapon in chasing a third Cup.

Can they do it? Yes, they can. If Florida does manage to win it all again, they won’t just be remembered as champions. They’ll be remembered as the NHL’s first true dynasty of the cap era, a team that defied modern parity to carve out a place alongside the Islanders, Canadiens, and Oilers in hockey history. The road will be brutal, the competition fierce, and the margin for error razor-thin. But make no mistake: the Panthers aren’t just defending champions, they’re on the brink of making history.

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