Early look · NHL 2026-27

Carolina Hurricanes at Florida Panthers: game preview

CarolinaHurricanes2026-27: 2-1-1 · 5 pts · 2025-26: 53-22-7 · 113 pts · 2ndat

FloridaPanthers2026-27: 2-0-2 · 6 pts · 2025-26: 40-38-4 · 84 pts · 25th

Puck drop10 Apr · 6:00 PM ET

VenueAmerant Bank Arena

All-time meetings147 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Twenty-nine points apart last season

Carolina finished last season 2nd in the league on 113 points. Florida finished 25th on 84, and the 2025-26 season series went FLA 2-1-0.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 148

Across 147 completed games, Carolina lead the head-to-head 79-51-17.

All-time record79-51-17Carolina's record in the series

Meetings played147This is number 148

2025-26 seriesFLA 2-1-0

Last 54-1Florida

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

29 SepFLA 1 – CAR 0 OT20–15FLA 0/7 · CAR 0/6FLA

16 Jan 2026FLA 1 – CAR 9——CAR

23 Dec 2025FLA 5 – CAR 2——FLA

19 Dec 2025CAR 3 – FLA 4 SO——FLA

28 May 2025FLA 5 – CAR 3——FLA

Head-to-head finder

The table on each meeting night

DateCarolinaFlorida

19 Dec 202522-9-3 · 47 pts3rd19-13-2 · 40 pts12th

23 Dec 202522-11-3 · 47 pts4th20-14-2 · 42 pts14th

16 Jan 202629-15-4 · 62 pts4th24-19-3 · 51 pts18th

29 Sep0-0-1 · 1 pts7th1-0-0 · 2 pts5th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 19 Dec 2025, Carolina were 3rd in the league and Florida 12th. By 29 Sep it was 7th and 5th.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Carolina out-attempted Florida 218 to 213

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Carolina Hurricanes

218 att · 99 on goal · 14 G · 14.1%

Crease19 att · 3 G

Slot88 att · 10 G

Wing64 att · 0 G

Point36 att · 1 G

Neutral zone11 att · 0 G

Florida Panthers

213 att · 99 on goal · 10 G · 10.1%

Crease19 att · 1 G

Slot85 att · 5 G

Wing68 att · 2 G

Point34 att · 2 G

Neutral zone7 att · 0 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Carolina have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

CarolinaFlorida

3.74xG for per game3.01

2.21xG against per game2.34

62.9%xG share56.3%

−4.0FinishingGoals minus expected goals−4.0

−3.2GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+1.4

This season: 4 games for Carolina, 4 for Florida. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →

Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Carolina

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2719.0%

Power play · 2025-2624.9% · 4th

Power play · last 5 meetings0/6 · 0.0%

Penalty kill · 2026-2789.5%

Penalty kill · 2025-2680.5% · 11th

Faceoffs · 2026-2752.1% · 125/240

Drawn · 2026-2721 (5.25/gm)

Drawn · last meetings6 (1.20/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2719 (4.75/gm)

PP goals · last meetings0

Florida

Small sample

Power play · 2026-274.3%

Power play · 2025-2619.5% · 19th

Power play · last 5 meetings0/7 · 0.0%

Penalty kill · 2026-2778.9%

Penalty kill · 2025-2681.0% · 9th

Faceoffs · 2026-2750.2% · 115/229

Drawn · 2026-2723 (5.75/gm)

Drawn · last meetings7 (1.40/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2719 (4.75/gm)

PP goals · last meetings0

Skaters

Gustav Forsling has 1 point in the last 5 meetings

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.

In the last meetings

See all: In the last meetings →

PlayerGPGAPSOG

42Gustav Forsling11012

23Carter Verhaeghe10111

20Sebastian Aho10004

77Niko Mikkola10004

15Anton Lundell10003

13Sam Reinhart10002

27Nikolaj Ehlers10002

19Matthew Tkachuk10002

37Andrei Svechnikov10002

53Jackson Blake10002

Head-to-head finder

Goaltending

Who has stopped this matchup

Save percentage in the last meetings by goalie. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Carolina

Expected starter after their game on 7 Apr: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Florida

Expected starter after their game on 9 Apr: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Carolina crease

CAR · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 7 Apr

Brandon Bussi.8513 GP · 1-1-1 · GSAx −3.7

Pyotr Kochetkov.8891 GP · 1-0-0 · GSAx +0.5

#vs FLAAppsSAGASV%

32Brandon Bussi1201.950

Florida crease

FLA · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 7 Apr

Jacob Markstrom.9273 GP · 2-0-1 · GSAx +3.2

Akira Schmid.8751 GP · 0-0-1 · GSAx −1.0

#vs CARAppsSAGASV%

25Jacob Markstrom11501.000

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.2 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

29 Sep1 · FLA 1–0 CAR

16 Jan 202610 · FLA 1–9 CAR

23 Dec 20257 · FLA 5–2 CAR

19 Dec 20257 · CAR 3–4 FLA

28 May 20258 · FLA 5–3 CAR

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA

Carolina2.753.003.612.93

Florida2.002.003.063.37

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.2Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings6.6Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

7 on the injury lists

Carolina · injuries

Alexander NikishinContract DisputeOutReturn10 Oct

Seth JarvisShoulderIRReturn24 Oct

Florida · injuries

Aaron EkbladPersonalOutReturn10 Oct

Aleksander BarkovLower BodyIRReturn27 Nov

Brad MarchandLegDay-to-dayReturn10 Oct

Jonah GadjovichUpper BodyIRReturn17 Oct

MacKenzie EntwistleUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

30 Sep · CAR

Placed G Cayden Primeau on waivers.

27 Sep · CAR

Placed C Seth Jarvis on the injured non-roster list. Placed LD Juuso Valimaki on waivers.

27 Sep · CAR

Placed C Seth Jarvis on the injured non-roster list. Placed D Juuso Valimaki on waivers.

3 Oct · FLA

Placed C Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve. Called up D Alexander Petrovic from Charlotte (AHL).

3 Oct · FLA

Placed C Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve.

27 Sep · FLA

Placed RW/C Cole Schwindt, RD Alexander Petrovic, LD Donovan Sebrango, LW Kai Schwindt, LW Cole Reinhardt, RW Sam Lafferty and C/LW John Beecher on waivers. Agreed to terms with RW Nathan Bastian on a 1-year, two-way contract.

Injury report

Carolina · 2026 draft

See all: Carolina · 2026 draft →

#51William HakanssonRound 2 · LuleaD

#61Wiggo SorenssonRound 2 · Boro/vetlandaC

#68Zachary LansardRound 3 · ReginaRW

#105Michael BerchildRound 4 · Usa U-18LW

Full draft

Florida · 2026 draft

See all: Florida · 2026 draft →

#40Simas IgnataviciusRound 2 · GeneveRW

#48Ryder CaliRound 2 · North BayC

#98Jonas KempsRound 4 · ChicagoD

#168Vilho VanhataloRound 6 · Tappara Jr.RW

Full draft

Saturday 10 April · the full slate

See all: Saturday 10 April · the full slate →

FLAThis game 6:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

Carolina Hurricanes at Florida Panthers: game preview

Twenty-nine points apart last season

Meeting number 148

Last 5 meetings

The table on each meeting night

Carolina out-attempted Florida 218 to 213

Carolina Hurricanes

Florida Panthers

Carolina have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Carolina

Florida

Gustav Forsling has 1 point in the last 5 meetings

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

In the last meetings

Who has stopped this matchup

Carolina crease

Florida crease

Scoring rates point to about 6.2 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

7 on the injury lists

Carolina · injuries

Florida · injuries

Latest moves

Carolina · 2026 draft

Florida · 2026 draft

Saturday 10 April · the full slate