Blackhawks vs Panthers: Can Chicago Upset a Battered Florida Squad?

The 2025–26 season opens in Florida tonight, with the defending champion Panthers hosting the rebuilding Blackhawks. On paper, Florida remains a heavyweight — but the reality is far more precarious, thanks to a rash of injuries that have stripped them of key talent.

Most notably, captain Aleksander Barkov is sidelined for 7–9 months after undergoing knee surgery, leaving a massive hole down the middle. Adding salt to the wound, Matthew Tkachuk will miss a prolonged stretch (likely into December) due to a lower-body injury. That absence removes a physical, dynamic driver of the Panthers’ offense — the kind of presence Chicago’s young core would otherwise dread. Even Tomas Nosek is expected to miss extended time.

Florida still deploys a talented defense corps (Forsling, Ekblad, Seth Jones) and can lean on Sergei Bobrovsky in net, but the offensive burden is now forced onto secondary scorers like Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, and Brad Marchand. Without Barkov’s faceoff dominance, two-way discipline, and top-line playmaking, the Panthers’ depth will be tested early.

That’s where Chicago sees an opportunity. The Blackhawks will roll out their top firepower, led by Connor Bedard, who posted career highs last season (23 goals, 44 assists) and already has found success against Florida in limited matchups. Bedard, flanked by Andre Burakovsky and Ryan Donato, will press hard to force mismatches. Meanwhile, veteran defenseman Matt Grzelcyk adds experience and puck-moving reliability on the blue line and in net, Spencer Knight makes a dramatic return — tonight he faces his former team for the first time.

Chicago will test Florida’s reconfigured lines, push for turnovers, and make the Panthers work hard to break out of their zone. The Blackhawks' youth and aggression may catch a wounded Panthers outfit off-guard. In a matchup where Florida’s stars are missing, Chicago has the momentum and narrative edge. If the Hawks skate fast, press hard, and force Florida’s secondary contributors to deliver, an upset is more than possible.

Prediction tilt: (given injuries): Blackhawks + underdog edge or tight game in regulation.