SUNRISE (AP) — Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has a simple thought entering the season.
It’s time for change.
Every season for Florida starts with optimism and ends with frustration, a cycle that Barkov and the Panthers are desperate to break in 2021. It’s been nearly 25 years since the team has won a playoff series, by far the longest drought in the NHL, and this season’s 56-game truncated schedule means the Panthers won’t have much room for error if they’re finally going to break through and become a real contender for something.
“We have to take the next step,” Barkov said.