Panthers vs Blue Jackets Preview: Florida Looks Vulnerable
Updated October 13, 2026
Updated October 13, 2026
The Florida Panthers visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, October 13, looking to avoid a third consecutive defeat. Florida has gone from opening the season with points in four straight games to losing back-to-back contests, and the injury list isn't exactly getting any shorter.
The Panthers are now 2-2-2 following Monday's 5-3 loss against Buffalo, while Columbus sits at 2-2-0 after suffering a 5-3 defeat against St. Louis on Saturday. Neither team has been particularly convincing, but the Blue Jackets have one significant advantage here: they've had two days to recover while Florida played yesterday.
Prediction markets have Columbus as a slight favorite, with its win contracts trading around 53–54¢ across Kalshi and Polymarket. I agree with that assessment and actually have the Blue Jackets a little higher, although the current prices don't leave much room for error.
Panthers goaltender Jacob Markstrom suffered an injury yesterday and will miss this game. However, there was a good chance Akira Schmid would have started anyway. Schmid took over in net at the start of the second period against the Sabres.
Kalshi and Polymarket are giving Columbus a modest advantage, which seems reasonable considering the scheduling situation and Florida's injury concerns.
I have Columbus at approximately 55–56% to win this matchup. The Blue Jackets are playing at home, are the more rested team, and face a Panthers lineup missing several important players.
That being said, I'm not entirely comfortable with Columbus being a substantial favorite. The Blue Jackets haven't exactly been playing flawless hockey, and Florida's underlying numbers are considerably better than its recent results suggest.
At the current prices, there's a small discrepancy between my projection and the market, but probably not enough to justify a trade once fees are included. I'd be more interested in Columbus if the price dropped closer to 50¢.
The Panthers haven't had much luck with injuries early in the 2026–27 season. Captain Aleksander Barkov is sidelined with a lower-body injury, while Brad Marchand is expected to miss approximately six weeks after getting hurt against Los Angeles.
Those are two significant losses, particularly for a team trying to establish some consistency offensively. Barkov is one of the league's premier two-way centers, while Marchand brings experience and another offensive threat to a lineup that has been struggling to score.
Florida's recent results haven't helped matters. The Panthers suffered a 4-1 defeat against Minnesota on Saturday before losing 5-3 to Buffalo on Monday, despite twice getting goals from Sam Reinhart and finding a way to tie the game on three separate occasions.
However, I wouldn't write off the Panthers just yet.
Florida's five-on-five numbers have actually been encouraging. Through its first five games, the team controlled approximately 57% of the high-danger scoring chances, suggesting that its overall performances have been better than the results indicate.
The problem is turning those opportunities into goals while keeping things organized defensively, particularly without Barkov.
We should also consider the schedule. Florida played an afternoon game in Buffalo on Monday and now travels to Columbus for another matchup on Tuesday evening. That's a demanding turnaround, especially with an already depleted lineup.
The Blue Jackets have had an interesting start to the season. They've shown flashes of good hockey, but there's been a frustrating tendency to let opponents back into games.
Friday's 3-2 shootout victory against Pittsburgh was a good example. Columbus controlled large portions of the matchup and fired 45 shots at the Penguins, but still needed a shootout to secure the victory.
Things got worse against St. Louis on Saturday.
The Blue Jackets jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period, with goals from Valeri Nichushkin and Kent Johnson. At that point, everything appeared to be going according to plan. However, Columbus completely lost its momentum in the second period, conceded three consecutive goals, and eventually suffered a 5-3 defeat.
That's hardly the type of performance you want to see from a team attempting to establish itself as a serious playoff contender.
There are still reasons to be optimistic. Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson and Matthew Knies give Columbus an interesting young offensive core, while Zach Werenski remains one of the most important players on the blue line. Damon Severson has also returned from injury, providing some additional defensive depth.
I think Columbus has enough talent to take advantage of Florida's current situation, but the Blue Jackets need to put together a complete 60-minute performance rather than relying on a few strong periods.
The starting goaltenders could have a significant influence on this matchup, particularly considering what happened in Florida's game against Buffalo.
Jacob Markstrom started Monday's contest but was replaced by Akira Schmid after the opening period. Markstrom had allowed two goals on 11 shots, although head coach Paul Maurice indicated that the veteran goaltender had experienced some tightness rather than a confirmed injury.
Schmid finished the game with 18 saves, and it remains to be seen who will get the assignment against Columbus.
Given the back-to-back situation, Schmid would be a reasonable possibility, but neither Florida starter should be considered confirmed at this stage.
Columbus also has a decision to make between Jet Greaves and Cam Talbot. Greaves started Saturday's loss against St. Louis, allowing four goals on 26 shots, while Talbot made 20 saves in Friday's victory against Pittsburgh.
Neither situation gives me complete confidence, although Columbus at least has the advantage of being rested.
Florida's defensive structure and ability to control play at five-on-five could become particularly important if its goaltending struggles continue.
I'm leaning toward Columbus here, although it's primarily because of the circumstances surrounding the matchup rather than anything particularly impressive from the Blue Jackets.
Florida is dealing with injuries, has lost two consecutive games, and now has to play on back-to-back days. Those factors are difficult to ignore, especially against a Columbus team that has had time to recover from Saturday's defeat.
Still, I don't think we should underestimate the Panthers. Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett remain dangerous offensive players, and Florida has generally performed better at five-on-five than its recent results suggest.
The main question is whether the Blue Jackets can take advantage of a tired opponent without making the same defensive mistakes we saw against St. Louis.
I believe they will, but that doesn't necessarily make Columbus an attractive trading opportunity at the current prices.
Prediction | My assessment |
|---|---|
Projected winner | Columbus Blue Jackets |
Projected score | Columbus 3, Florida 2 |
Estimated Columbus win probability | 55–56% |
Preferred entry | Columbus around 50–51¢ |
Current recommendation | Slight Columbus lean |
My pick is Columbus. The Blue Jackets have a good opportunity to take advantage of Florida's difficult schedule, although they've also shown enough weaknesses of their own to make this anything but a comfortable prediction.
