The Florida Panthers have gone back-to-back in winning the Stanley Cup.
It won't be easy to three-peat.
To pull off the impressive feat, the Panthers will have to continue to find ways to improve their roster.
The NHL trade deadline comes around in early March. That's a few months still for the Panthers to make a move or two.
One move is already being suggested by The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. He sees the Panthers as a trade match for Chicago Blackhawks 32-year old defenseman Connor Murphy.
"My sense is the two-time Stanley Cup champs will try to upgrade on the right side of their third pairing," LeBrun writes. "Murphy, 32, is a pending unrestricted free agent and fits the bill."
MORE: L.A. Kings' goalie is from the North Pole
The big question is whether the money will work.
"The hurdle for Florida would be finding the cap space," LeBrun writes. "Murphy’s $4.4 million cap hit is rich, but obviously it would require Chicago retaining some, plus the Panthers have $3.8 million in long-term-injured-reserve money at their disposal with captain Aleksander Barkov out. The Panthers and Blackhawks made a trade a year ago involving Seth Jones. Obviously, this wouldn’t be at the same level, but it could be beneficial."
LeBrun adds that Murphy has only played nine career playoff games, and this would be a chance for him to join the two-time defending champs.
It could work out for everyone if such a deal were to come to fruition.
MORE: Connor McDavid made NHL history that hasn't been done in decades