Should the Florida Panthers be in the same conversation as the NY islanders dynasty?

The Florida Panthers have earned their place in NHL history, capturing back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2023-24 and 2024-25. after falling just short and losing the 202-23 Final to the Vegas Golden Knights. Three straight years of playing into June. With a battle-tested core led by Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, the Panthers have redefined their franchise. With Paul Maurice behind the bench, they have become a model franchise that veteran players, such as Brad Marchand, want to join in pursuit of Stanley Cup glory. But as impressive as their recent run has been, does it put them in the same conversation as the legendary New York Islanders dynasty of the early 1980s?

The Islanders' dynasty wasn’t just about winning—it was about dominance.

From 1980 to 1983, the Islanders won four straight Stanley Cups, a feat never achieved before or since by a U.S.-based hockey team (the Montreal Canadiens had won four straight before the Islanders and five in a row in the 1950s). They followed that by reaching a fifth straight Final in 1984. That run included a then-record 19 consecutive playoff series wins—still unmatched in NHL history. Their core featured Hall of Famers like Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier, Clark Gillies, Denis Potvin, and Billy Smith, led by the brilliant coaching of Al Arbour and the vision of GM Bill Torrey. Overall, 16 players have their names etched on the Stanley Cup 4x.

Florida’s roster, while elite, doesn’t yet have the Hall of Fame certainty of the 1980s Islanders. Barkov is a Selke winner and quiet leader; Tkachuk brings grit and game-breaking offense; and Bobrovsky has found playoff redemption. But the Panthers’ two Cups came in a more evenly matched, salary cap-constrained NHL landscape—where parity rules and repeating is far harder and complex than in past eras (even with the help of not having a state tax in Florida to attract and retain talent).

In that context, Florida's accomplishment is incredibly impressive. Winning back-to-back Cups today is rare—the Lightning did it in 2020 and 2021—but sustaining that success beyond two seasons is the true mark of a dynasty. Until the Panthers add a third (or fourth), and prove they can dominate for half a decade or more, comparisons to the Islanders remain premature.

The Panthers are a modern powerhouse. The Islanders were a dynasty.

There's still a difference. For now.