The Florida Panthers host the Columbus Blue Jackets at Amerant Bank Arena in an Atlantic Division matchup Thursday night. Florida continues to play dominant hockey as one of the Eastern Conference’s top contenders, while Columbus remains in a rebuilding phase but has shown flashes of offensive upside. The Panthers will look to control the pace and use their depth advantage to secure another important victory. Continue reading to get my Panthers vs Blue Jackets prediction or find more NHL picks and predictions on this page.
Our Panthers vs Blue Jackets Pick
Pick:
Confidence: ★★★★☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Florida Panthers vs Columbus Blue Jackets
- Date & Time: Thursday, March 5, 2026, 7:00 PM ET
- Venue: Amerant Bank Arena
- Broadcast: ESPN+, Bally Sports Florida
Panthers Injury Report
- Aleksander Barkov (C): Still out and hasn’t played all season due to a knee injury.
- Seth Jones(D): Moved from IR to long-term injured reserve this week.
- Cole Schwindt (RW): IR.
Blue Jackets Injury Report
- Adam Fantilli (C): Continues developing into a top offensive threat.
- Zach Werenski (D): Questionable.
Key Storylines
Panthers Depth
Florida boasts one of the deepest rosters in the NHL and consistently generates offense across all four lines.
Columbus Youth Movement
The Blue Jackets continue to develop their young core as they look toward the future.
Model Projection
Score Projection:
Win Probability:
Final Thoughts
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