If there is one glaring weakness, or one area of the Florida Panthers’ roster with the most question marks, it’s goaltending.
For the past seven seasons, that hasn’t been much of an issue. Sergei Bobrovsky has been the Panthers’ rock, and while his play was at times a bit inconsistent, outside the 2025-26 season, it never dipped into catastrophically bad territory.
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But Bobrovsky is gone, and in come Jacob Markstrom and Akira Schmid.
Markstrom joins the Panthers with familiarity, having been drafted by the organization in 2008. Schmid, on the other hand, is brand new to the workings of the Florida Panthers.
Markstrom posted rather weak numbers with the New Jersey Devils over the past two seasons, coming to Florida as the No. 1 goaltender with numbers far below playoff caliber. Schmid also joins after posting a save percentage below .900, but did play a career high in games.
With uncertainty in the crease, GM Bill Zito could look to the free agent market in hopes of adding a reliable veteran third-string goaltender, in case of both injuries and/or replacements due to poor performance.
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According to puckpedia.com, there are five UFA goaltenders: Connor Ingram, Matt Murray, Petr Mrazek, Cam Talbot, and James Reimer.
All of these goaltenders boast plenty of NHL experience, and many carry post-season experience as well.
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Connor Ingram was in a difficult situation with the Edmonton Oilers. The team struggled to figure things out defensively, and their goaltending situation was awful. They shipped Stuart Skinner to the Pittsburgh Penguins and brought in Tristan Jarry, whom they hoped would be the No. 1 goaltender. Instead, he faltered, and Ingram was forced to step in as the No. 1 goaltender for large chunks of the season.
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Ingram posted respectable numbers with a .899 SP and a 2.60 goals-against average in 32 games. Ingram would be a solid third-string netminder, but given his history and his age, he’s likely looking for a larger role.
Injuries have tormented Matt Murray’s career. When he emerged with the Penguins, he looked like a future NHL top netminder, but since the 2018-19 season, he has played more than 30 games only once.
The 32-year-old played just five games last season with the Seattle Kraken, but did post a .922 SP. As a third-string goaltender, Murray could be worth the chance, but it’s difficult to feel comfortable relying on a goaltender who suffers injuries as frequently as he does.
Petr Mrazek has played for six NHL teams in his career, owning the No. 1 role for three seasons. Overall, his career numbers show him posting a .905 SP and a 2.87 GAA in 438 games.
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Despite that, Mrazek has played just 15 games over the past two NHL campaigns; his numbers last year with the Anaheim Ducks were woeful. That’s a chance Mrazek could still be dependable as a third-stringer, but those chances are slim.
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Cam Talbot played more games than any of the five available goaltenders last season and is also the oldest. Talbot has dressed in 587 regular-season games and another 36 post-season games in his career. With the Red Wings last year, Talbot recorded a .883 SP and a 3.19 GAA in 34 games.
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His best days are far behind him, but with his experience, playing behind a team like the Panthers could help him feel the security in between the pipes that he may have been lacking recently. Despite playing for eight teams in his career, Talbot has never landed in Florida. Could they be his ninth franchise?
James Reimer would join the Panthers with plenty of familiarity, as the 38-year-old spent three seasons with the Panthers, manning the crease in 123 regular-season games.
NHL work has been hard to come by for Reimer, but with his selfless mindset and vast experience, he could be a valuable third-stringer.
None of these goaltenders will come to Florida and save their season if things go sideways, but they could be relied upon in times of need.
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