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There will be plenty of eyes on Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers this season as the Cats look to win a second consecutive Stanley Cup. However, the parity of the NHL has proven time and time again just how tough it is to win the Stanley Cup, let alone in back-to-back seasons. Regardless, American players across the league are ready to light the lamp and lead their teams to victory, and all of us will be watching. The time has finally arrived. The NHL is back, so put on your jerseys and get ready to cheer on your favorite hockey teams. NEW SEASON NEW SWEATERS Brett PESCE Jake Guentzel (Carolina > Tampa Bay) Guentzel, a Stanley Cup champion with Pittsburgh, is bringing his champion- ship pedigree south to a franchise that is no stranger to Stanley Cup titles. Guentzel signed a seven-year deal with the Lightning after Tampa acquired him via a trade with Carolina this off- season. Guentzel has scored 30 or more goals in three consecutive seasons. Pat Maroon (Boston > Chicago) Maroon is no stranger to switching teams, and the three-time Stanley Cup champion heads to the Windy City this season to play for his eighth NHL fran- chise. Maroon's 163 playoff appear- ances rank first among all NHL players since his first postseason appearance with the Anaheim Ducks in 2013-14. Brady Skjei (Carolina > Nashville) The addition of Skjei has the Nash- ville faithful singing their favorite tunes on Broadway. Skjei, one of the top defensemen on the market this offseason, should help the Predators continue to improve along the blueline. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound left-hander had a career high 47 points with the Hurricanes last season, with 13 goals and 34 assists. Ryan Suter (Dallas > St. Louis) St. Louis added a strong veteran presence to its blueline with Suter. The 39-year-old has accumulated 681 points (105G, 576A) in 1,444 career regular-season games, which currently ranks first among active defensemen. Suter was an iron man in Dallas, playing in every regular-season game for the past three seasons. Brett Pesce (Carolina > New Jersey) Pesce should help fortify New Jersey's defensive core after signing a six-year deal to team up with fellow Americans Jack and Luke Hughes. Pesce had 13 points (3G, 10A) in 70 regular-season games for Carolina last season. New Jersey, which has missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in five of the past six seasons, could get back into the post- season thanks to the addition of the 29-year-old defenseman. Anthony Stolarz (Florida > Toronto) Stolarz is taking his talents north of the border after teaming with Sergei Bo- brovsky to lead Florida to its first Stanley Cup title in franchise history. Stolarz skated in 27 games for the Panthers last season, posting a 16-7-2 record and a .925 save percentage. Now he will look to help Toronto reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1967. WHETHER IT BE VIA TRADES OR FREE AGENCY, the NHL offseason always brings an influx of transactions. Here is a glance at some Americans who packed up the moving truck to head to a new city this offseason. THE NHL IS BACK AND EVERY TEAM WILL BE LOOKING TO TAKE LORD STANLEY'S CUP AWAY FROM THE FLORIDA PANTHERS ON THE HUNT Pat MAROON 28 // OCTOBER 2024 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM Anthony STOLARZ Ryan SUTER