# 1993–94 Florida Panthers season

The 1993–94 Florida Panthers season was the Panthers' first season. Blockbuster Video magnate H. Wayne Huizenga was awarded an NHL franchise for his native Miami in 1992. The team played at the Miami Arena, and its first major stars were New York Rangers goaltender castoff John Vanbiesbrouck, rookie Rob Niedermayer, and Scott Mellanby, who scored 30 goals during the regular season.
The Panthers were surprisingly competitive for a first-year expansion team, and ultimately finished just one game below .500 and two points short of qualifying for the 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs.

## Regular season
### October

The Panthers played their first ever regular season game on October 6, as they recorded a 4-4 tie on the road against the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Mellanby scored the first ever Panthers goal, against Ed Belfour. On October 9, in their third game, the club earned their first victory and shutout, as John Vanbiesbrouck made 36 saves in a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. On October 12, Florida played their first home game, losing 2-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins, as Mellanby scored the first goal on home ice. The Panthers first win at home came on October 14, as they defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-4, as Rob Niedermayer scored the winning goal midway through the third period. In a game against the Los Angeles Kings on October 19, the Panthers fired 52 shots at Kings goaltender Kelly Hrudey, however, the club had to settle for a 2-2 tie.
After a five-game winless streak, in which Florida posted a 0-3-2 record, the team finished October with two consecutive wins, defeating the New York Islanders 5-2 and the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1. Florida finished the month with a 4-5-3 record, good for fifth in the Atlantic Division, and tied for eighth in the Eastern Conference.

### November

Florida opened November with two consecutive losses, before heading out for a three-game road trip. Florida went a perfect 3-0-0 on the road, highlighted by a 3-1 win over the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Montreal Canadiens, as John Vanbiesbrouck led the way with 37 saves. The Panthers struggled on their five-game homestand, as they went 1-4-0, only earning a victory against the Washington Capitals. Florida ended the month on a quick two game road trip, losing to the Boston Bruins, then suffered their first ever shutout loss, as they were defeated 4-0 by the Hartford Whalers.
At the end of November, the Panthers had a record of 8-13-3, earning 19 points, and sat in sixth in the Atlantic Division, and 11th in the Eastern Conference.

### December

Florida started December with a solid 2-1 overtime victory over the Buffalo Sabres, as Jesse Belanger scored the overtime winner, and John Vanbiesbrouck was solid with 33 saves. The Panthers then went on a five-game road trip, beginning with a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks on December 5. On December 7, Florida faced their expansion cousins, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, winning the game 3-2. The next night, the Panthers defeated the Los Angeles Kings 6-5. They finished their road swing with a 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets and a 4-4 tie with the Dallas Stars, going 3-1-1. Florida finished the month continuing to play good hockey, going 3-1-2 in their remaining six games in December.
By the end of the month, Florida had an overall record of 15-15-6, getting 36 points, sitting in fifth place in the Atlantic Division, and 10th in the Eastern Conference, only one point out of eighth place for the final playoff position.

### January

The Panthers began January where they left off in December, earning a 4-2 win over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on New Years Day, to move over the .500 level, and into eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The club then began a six-game road trip, which began with two losses, 3-2 to the New York Rangers, and 4-1 to the New Jersey Devils. Florida rebounded in the next two games, earning ties against the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins. The team finished the road trip with two wins, defeating the Montreal Canadiens 5-2, and the New York Islanders 2-1, to earn a respectable 2-2-2 record. Florida continued winning when the returned home, beating the Washington Capitals 5-1 on January 19, followed by an 8-3 blowout victory against the Montreal Canadiens to push their record to 20-17-8. The club finished January going 1-0-2 in their last three games, as they extended their overall unbeaten streak to nine games.
At the end of January, the Panthers had a 21-17-10 record, earning 52 points, and were in third place in the Atlantic Division, and sixth in the Eastern Conference.

### February

The team opened February with two games on the road, and in the first game on February 1, the Panthers unbeaten streak came to an end, as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated Florida 2-1. The Panthers rebounded the next night, defeating the Ottawa Senators 4-1, as Rob Niedermayer had two goals, and Mark Fitzpatrick made 32 saves for the win. The team returned home for two games, as they were blown out 7-2 against the Buffalo Sabres on February 4, however, Florida won their next game, shutting out the Boston Bruins 3-0, with Mark Fitzpatrick making 19 saves. The Panthers lost their next game in overtime, 4-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers, as Eric Lindros scored the winning goal, however, the team followed up the heart breaking loss with a solid 4-3 win over the New York Islanders. On February 13, the Panthers defeated the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 to improve to 25-20-10 on the season.
The club then went on another quick two game road trip, where they lost both games, including a 7-3 blowout loss to the Detroit Red Wings. When returning home, the Red Wings defeated Florida again, this time by a 4-1 score, as the club was on a three-game losing streak. Florida snapped the losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets, however, the team would lose their last three games of the month to fall back to the .500 level.
At the end of February, Florida had a 26-26-10 record, earning 62 points, which had them in fourth place in the Atlantic Division, and eighth in the Eastern Conference, tied with the Philadelphia Flyers in points, however, Florida had two games in hand.

### March

Florida continued to struggle into March, losing their first two games, 3-2 to the New Jersey Devils, and 4-1 to the Hartford Whalers, to push their losing streak to four games, and seven of their last eight games. On March 7, the team began a three-game road trip to Western Canada, and they put an end to their losing streak as Mark Fitzpatrick made 34 saves in a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. In their next game against the Edmonton Oilers, the Panthers won 5-3 to go back to the .500 level. The club finished the trip with a loss to the Calgary Flames by a 4-2 score.
Florida returned home for a six-game home stand, in which the Panthers went unbeaten, going 3-0-3, which included wins over the New York Rangers, Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers, making their overall season record at 31-29-13. On March 24, the Panthers nearly overcame a 4-0 deficit, losing 4-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers, to end their unbeaten streak. The club rebounded in their next game, defeating the New York Islanders 3-1. The team ended March with two more losses though, losing to the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues.
By the end of March, the Panthers had a 32-32-13 record, earning 77 points, which had the club in fourth place in the Atlantic Division, and clinging to eighth in the Eastern Conference for the final playoff position, four points of the ninth place Philadelphia Flyers, and five ahead of the 10th place New York Islanders.

### April

The club opened April with a disappointing 2-2 tie against the lowly Ottawa Senators at home before heading out on a three-game road trip. The Panthers continued to struggle, dropping a 3-2 decision to the New York Rangers. On April 5, the Panthers blew a 3-1 third period lead against the Quebec Nordiques, and settled for a 3-3 tie, extending their winless streak to five games. On April 7, Florida overcame a 3-1 deficit, earning a 3-3 tie against the Philadelphia Flyers. The club returned home for their final three games, and the winless streak continued, as the Panthers tied the New Jersey Devils 2-2, followed by a 5-2 loss to the Quebec Nordiques, pushing their winless streak to eight games, as Florida slipped into ninth place, behind the New York Islanders. On April 13, the Panthers were officially eliminated from the post-season, as the Islanders defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning to clinch the eighth and final playoff position. The Panthers played their final game of the season on April 14, defeating the Islanders 4-1.
The Panthers finished the 1993-94 season with a 33-34-17 record, earning 83 points, which was an NHL record for points by an expansion team until the Vegas Golden Knights surpassed it in their first season. Florida finished the season in fifth place in the Atlantic Division, and ninth in the Eastern Conference, just one point of a playoff position.

### Season standings

Atlantic Division :
| No. | CR | | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | 1 | New York Rangers | 84 | 52 | 24 | 8 | 299 | 231 | 112 |
| 2 | 3 | New Jersey Devils | 84 | 47 | 25 | 12 | 306 | 220 | 106 |
| 3 | 7 | Washington Capitals | 84 | 39 | 35 | 10 | 277 | 263 | 88 |
| 4 | 8 | New York Islanders | 84 | 36 | 36 | 12 | 282 | 264 | 84 |
| 5 | 9 | Florida Panthers | 84 | 33 | 34 | 17 | 233 | 233 | 83 |
| 6 | 10 | Philadelphia Flyers | 84 | 35 | 39 | 10 | 294 | 314 | 80 |
| 7 | 12 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 84 | 30 | 43 | 11 | 224 | 251 | 71 |
Note: No. = Division rank, CR = Conference rank, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
 Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
Eastern Conference :
| R | | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | p-New York Rangers * | 84 | 52 | 24 | 8 | 299 | 231 | 112 |
| 2 | x-Pittsburgh Penguins * | 84 | 44 | 27 | 13 | 299 | 285 | 101 |
| 3 | New Jersey Devils | 84 | 47 | 25 | 12 | 306 | 220 | 106 |
| 4 | Boston Bruins | 84 | 42 | 29 | 13 | 289 | 252 | 97 |
| 5 | Montreal Canadiens | 84 | 41 | 29 | 14 | 283 | 248 | 96 |
| 6 | Buffalo Sabres | 84 | 43 | 32 | 9 | 282 | 218 | 95 |
| 7 | Washington Capitals | 84 | 39 | 35 | 10 | 277 | 263 | 88 |
| 8 | New York Islanders | 84 | 36 | 36 | 12 | 282 | 264 | 84 |
| 9 | Florida Panthers | 84 | 33 | 34 | 17 | 233 | 233 | 83 |
| 10 | Philadelphia Flyers | 84 | 35 | 39 | 10 | 294 | 314 | 80 |
| 11 | Quebec Nordiques | 84 | 34 | 42 | 8 | 277 | 292 | 76 |
| 12 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 84 | 30 | 43 | 11 | 224 | 251 | 71 |
| 13 | Hartford Whalers | 84 | 27 | 48 | 9 | 227 | 288 | 63 |
| 14 | Ottawa Senators | 84 | 14 | 61 | 9 | 201 | 397 | 37 |
* Final standings
bold – Qualified for playoffs; x – Won division; p – Won Presidents' Trophy (and division); * – Division leader

## Schedule and results

1993–94 regular season :
October: 4–5–3 (home: 3–3–2; road: 1–2–1)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordRecap
1TOctober 6, 19934–4 OT@ Chicago Blackhawks (1993–94)0–0–1Recap
2LOctober 7, 19933–5@ St. Louis Blues (1993–94)0–1–1Recap
3WOctober 9, 19932–0@ Tampa Bay Lightning (1993–94)1–1–1Recap
4LOctober 12, 19931–2Pittsburgh Penguins (1993–94)1–2–1Recap
5WOctober 14, 19935–4Ottawa Senators (1993–94)2–2–1Recap
6TOctober 17, 19933–3 OTTampa Bay Lightning (1993–94)2–2–2Recap
7TOctober 19, 19932–2 OTLos Angeles Kings (1993–94)2–2–3Recap
8LOctober 21, 19933–4 OTToronto Maple Leafs (1993–94)2–3–3Recap
9LOctober 23, 19931–2@ New Jersey Devils (1993–94)2–4–3Recap
10LOctober 26, 19932–5Winnipeg Jets (1993–94)2–5–3Recap
11WOctober 28, 19935–2New York Islanders (1993–94)3–5–3Recap
12WOctober 30, 19932–1 OTTampa Bay Lightning (1993–94)4–5–3Recap :
November: 4–8–0 (home: 1–5–0; road: 3–3–0)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordRecap
13LNovember 2, 19933–4Philadelphia Flyers (1993–94)4–6–3Recap
14LNovember 3, 19933–6@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1993–94)4–7–3Recap
15WNovember 7, 19933–1@ Quebec Nordiques (1993–94)5–7–3Recap
16WNovember 10, 19933–1@ Montreal Canadiens (1993–94)6–7–3Recap
17WNovember 11, 19935–4@ Ottawa Senators (1993–94)7–7–3Recap
18LNovember 14, 19932–5Quebec Nordiques (1993–94)7–8–3Recap
19LNovember 16, 19932–4New York Rangers (1993–94)7–9–3Recap
20LNovember 18, 19932–3Chicago Blackhawks (1993–94)7–10–3Recap
21WNovember 20, 19934–3Washington Capitals (1993–94)8–10–3Recap
22LNovember 23, 19931–2 OTHartford Whalers (1993–94)8–11–3Recap
23LNovember 26, 19932–3@ Boston Bruins (1993–94)8–12–3Recap
24LNovember 27, 19930–4@ Hartford Whalers (1993–94)8–13–3Recap :
December: 7–2–3 (home: 2–1–1; road: 5–1–2)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordRecap
25WDecember 2, 19932–1 OTBuffalo Sabres (1993–94)9–13–3Recap
26LDecember 5, 19931–2@ San Jose Sharks (1993–94)9–14–3Recap
27WDecember 7, 19933–2@ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1993–94)10–14–3Recap
28WDecember 8, 19936–5@ Los Angeles Kings (1993–94)11–14–3Recap
29WDecember 10, 19935–2@ Winnipeg Jets (1993–94)12–14–3Recap
30TDecember 12, 19934–4 OT@ Dallas Stars (1993–94)12–14–4Recap
31TDecember 15, 19933–3 OTMontreal Canadiens (1993–94)12–14–5Recap
32LDecember 19, 19931–2 OTBoston Bruins (1993–94)12–15–5Recap
33WDecember 22, 19933–2New York Rangers (1993–94)13–15–5Recap
34WDecember 26, 19933–1@ Tampa Bay Lightning (1993–94)14–15–5Recap
35TDecember 28, 19933–3 OT@ Washington Capitals (1993–94)14–15–6Recap
36WDecember 29, 19935–3@ Hartford Whalers (1993–94)15–15–6Recap :
January: 6–2–4 (home: 3–0–1; road: 3–2–3)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordRecap
37WJanuary 1, 19944–2Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1993–94)16–15–6Recap
38LJanuary 3, 19942–3@ New York Rangers (1993–94)16–16–6Recap
39LJanuary 7, 19941–4@ New Jersey Devils (1993–94)16–17–6Recap
40TJanuary 8, 19942–2 OT@ Boston Bruins (1993–94)16–17–7Recap
41TJanuary 13, 19942–2 OT@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1993–94)16–17–8Recap
42WJanuary 15, 19945–2@ Montreal Canadiens (1993–94)17–17–8Recap
43WJanuary 17, 19942–1@ New York Islanders (1993–94)18–17–8Recap
44WJanuary 19, 19945–1Washington Capitals (1993–94)19–17–8Recap
45WJanuary 24, 19948–3Montreal Canadiens (1993–94)20–17–8Recap
46TJanuary 26, 19941–1 OT@ Tampa Bay Lightning (1993–94)20–17–9Recap
47TJanuary 28, 19943–3 OTSan Jose Sharks (1993–94)20–17–10Recap
48WJanuary 30, 19943–2@ Buffalo Sabres (1993–94)21–17–10Recap :
February: 5–9–0 (home: 2–4–0; road: 3–5–0)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordRecap
49LFebruary 1, 19941–2@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1993–94)21–18–10Recap
50WFebruary 2, 19944–1@ Ottawa Senators (1993–94)22–18–10Recap
51LFebruary 4, 19942–7Buffalo Sabres (1993–94)22–19–10Recap
52WFebruary 6, 19943–0Boston Bruins (1993–94)23–19–10Recap
53LFebruary 10, 19943–4 OT@ Philadelphia Flyers (1993–94)23–20–10Recap
54WFebruary 12, 19944–3@ New York Islanders (1993–94)24–20–10Recap
55WFebruary 13, 19942–1Vancouver Canucks (1993–94)25–20–10Recap
56LFebruary 16, 19943–7@ Detroit Red Wings (1993–94)25–21–10Recap
57LFebruary 18, 19941–4@ Buffalo Sabres (1993–94)25–22–10Recap
58LFebruary 20, 19943–4 OTDetroit Red Wings (1993–94)25–23–10Recap
59WFebruary 22, 19943–2@ Winnipeg Jets (1993–94)26–23–10Recap
60LFebruary 24, 19941–2Washington Capitals (1993–94)26–24–10Recap
61LFebruary 26, 19942–4@ Washington Capitals (1993–94)26–25–10Recap
62LFebruary 28, 19943–4Pittsburgh Penguins (1993–94)26–26–10Recap :
March: 6–6–3 (home: 3–4–3; road: 3–2–0)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordRecap
63LMarch 2, 19942–3New Jersey Devils (1993–94)26–27–10Recap
64LMarch 4, 19941–2Hartford Whalers (1993–94)26–28–10Recap
65WMarch 7, 19942–1@ Vancouver Canucks (1993–94)27–28–10Recap
66WMarch 9, 19945–3@ Edmonton Oilers (1993–94)28–28–10Recap
67LMarch 11, 19942–4@ Calgary Flames (1993–94)28–29–10Recap
68WMarch 14, 19942–1New York Rangers (1993–94)29–29–10Recap
69WMarch 16, 19942–1Calgary Flames (1993–94)30–29–10Recap
70TMarch 18, 19944–4 OTEdmonton Oilers (1993–94)30–29–11Recap
71WMarch 20, 19945–3Philadelphia Flyers (1993–94)31–29–11Recap
72TMarch 21, 19943–3 OTNew Jersey Devils (1993–94)31–29–12Recap
73TMarch 23, 19941–1 OTToronto Maple Leafs (1993–94)31–29–13Recap
74LMarch 24, 19943–4@ Philadelphia Flyers (1993–94)31–30–13Recap
75WMarch 26, 19943–1@ New York Islanders (1993–94)32–30–13Recap
76LMarch 28, 19944–5Dallas Stars (1993–94)32–31–13Recap
77LMarch 30, 19941–3St. Louis Blues (1993–94)32–32–13Recap :
April: 1–2–4 (home: 1–1–2; road: 0–1–2)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordRecap
78TApril 2, 19942–2 OTOttawa Senators (1993–94)32–32–14Recap
79LApril 4, 19942–3@ New York Rangers (1993–94)32–33–14Recap
80TApril 5, 19943–3 OT@ Quebec Nordiques (1993–94)32–33–15Recap
81TApril 7, 19943–3 OT@ Philadelphia Flyers (1993–94)32–33–16Recap
82TApril 10, 19942–2 OTNew Jersey Devils (1993–94)32–33–17Recap
83LApril 12, 19942–5Quebec Nordiques (1993–94)32–34–17Recap
84WApril 14, 19944–1New York Islanders (1993–94)33–34–17Recap :
Legend:
  Win (2 points)
  Loss (0 points)
  Tie (1 point) :

## Player statistics
### Forwards

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Scott Mellanby | 80 | 30 | 30 | 60 | 149 |
| Jesse Belanger | 70 | 17 | 33 | 50 | 16 |
| Andrei Lomakin | 76 | 19 | 28 | 47 | 26 |
| Brian Skrudland | 79 | 15 | 25 | 40 | 136 |
| Stu Barnes | 59 | 18 | 20 | 38 | 30 |
| Dave Lowry | 80 | 15 | 22 | 37 | 64 |
| Tom Fitzgerald | 83 | 18 | 14 | 32 | 54 |
| Bob Kudelski | 44 | 14 | 15 | 29 | 10 |
| Mike Hough | 78 | 6 | 23 | 29 | 62 |
| Jody Hull | 69 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 8 |
| Rob Niedermayer | 65 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 51 |
| Bill Lindsay | 84 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 97 |
| Scott Levins | 29 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 69 |
| Mike Foligno | 39 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 49 |
| Randy Gilhen | 20 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 16 |
| Evgeny Davydov | 21 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
| Patrick Lebeau | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Jamie Leach | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jeff Greenlaw | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Doug Barrault | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Len Barrie | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeff Daniels | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### Defensemen

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Gord Murphy | 84 | 14 | 29 | 43 | 71 |
| Brian Benning | 73 | 6 | 24 | 30 | 107 |
| Greg Hawgood | 33 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 9 |
| Keith Brown | 51 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 60 |
| Brent Severyn | 67 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 156 |
| Alexander Godynyuk | 26 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 35 |
| Joe Cirella | 63 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 99 |
| Geoff Smith | 56 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 38 |
| Peter Andersson | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Paul Laus | 39 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 109 |
| Stephane Richer | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Greg Smyth | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 37 |
| Dallas Eakins | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### Goaltending

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SV% = Save percentage ; GAA = Goals against average; SO = Shutouts
| Player | GP | W | L | T | SV% | GAA | SO |
| John Vanbiesbrouck | 57 | 21 | 25 | 11 | .924 | 2.53 | 1 |
| Mark Fitzpatrick | 28 | 12 | 8 | 6 | .914 | 2.73 | 1 |
| Pokey Reddick | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .822 | 6.00 | 0 |

## Awards and records

* John Vanbiesbrouck, Goaltender, NHL Second Team All-Star
* John Vanbiesbrouck, runner-up, Hart Memorial Trophy
* John Vanbiesbrouck, runner-up, Vezina Trophy

## Transactions
### Trades

Trades listed are from June 1, 1993 to June 1, 1994.
| Date | Details | Details |
| June 25, 1993 (1993-06-25) | To Tampa Bay LightningPanthers agree to select Daren Puppa in 1993 NHL Expansion Draft | To Florida Panthers1993 PIT 3rd-round Pick (#78 overall) |
| June 26, 1993 (1993-06-26) | To Winnipeg Jets1993 2rd-round Pick (#31 overall) | To Florida Panthers1993 2nd-round Pick (#41 overall) 1993 3rd-round Pick (#67 overall) |
| July 30, 1993 (1993-07-30) | To Toronto Maple LeafsCash | To Florida PanthersDave Tomlinson |
| August 3, 1993 (1993-08-03) | To Winnipeg JetsDave Tomlinson | To Florida PanthersJason Cirone |
| September 30, 1993 (1993-09-30) | To Winnipeg Jets1994 4th-round Pick (#79 overall) | To Florida PanthersEvgeny Davydov 1994 Conditional 4th-round Pick |
| September 30, 1993 (1993-09-30) | To Chicago BlackhawksDarin Kimble | To Florida PanthersKeith Brown |
| October 3, 1993 (1993-10-03) | To Winnipeg JetsMilan Tichy | To Florida PanthersBrent Severyn |
| November 5, 1993 (1993-11-05) | To Toronto Maple LeafsCash | To Florida PanthersMike Foligno |
| November 25, 1993 (1993-11-25) | To Winnipeg JetsRandy Gilhen 1994 4th-round Pick | To Florida PanthersStu Barnes 1994 STL 6th-round Pick (#146 overall) |
| November 28, 1993 (1993-11-28) | To Philadelphia FlyersCash | To Florida PanthersGreg Hawgood |
| December 6, 1993 (1993-12-06) | To Edmonton Oilers1994 3rd-round Pick (#53 overall) 1994 STL 6th-round Pick (#146 overall) | To Florida PanthersGeoff Smith 1994 4th-round Pick (#84 overall) |
| December 7, 1993 (1993-12-07) | To Toronto Maple LeafsGreg Smyth | To Florida PanthersFuture Considerations (Cash) |
| December 16, 1993 (1993-12-16) | To Hartford WhalersAlexander Godynyuk | To Florida PanthersJim McKenzie |
| December 16, 1993 (1993-12-16) | To Dallas StarsJim McKenzie | To Florida Panthers1995 4th-round Pick (#89 overall) |
| January 6, 1994 (1994-01-06) | To Ottawa SenatorsScott Levins Evgeny Davydov 1994 6th-round Pick (#131 overall) 1995 DAL 4th-round Pick (#89 overall) | To Florida PanthersBob Kudelski |
| March 19, 1994 (1994-03-19) | To Pittsburgh PenguinsGreg Hawgood | To Florida PanthersJeff Daniels |
| March 21, 1994 (1994-03-21) | To Ottawa Senators1994 9th-round Pick (#209 overall) | To Florida PanthersPeter Andersson |

## Draft picks
### Expansion Draft

| # | Player | Position | Drafted from |
| 1 | John Vanbiesbrouck | G | Vancouver Canucks |
| 4 | Mark Fitzpatrick | G | Quebec Nordiques |
| 5 | Daren Puppa $^1$ | G | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 7 | Milan Tichy | D | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 10 | Paul Laus | D | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 12 | Joe Cirella | D | New York Rangers |
| 13 | Alexander Godynyuk | D | Calgary Flames |
| 15 | Gord Murphy | D | Dallas Stars |
| 18 | Steve Bancroft | D | Winnipeg Jets |
| 20 | Stephane Richer | D | Boston Bruins |
| 21 | Gord Hynes | D | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 24 | Tom Fitzgerald | C/RW | New York Islanders |
| 25 | Jesse Belanger | C | Montreal Canadiens |
| 27 | Scott Levins | C | Winnipeg Jets |
| 30 | Scott Mellanby | RW | Edmonton Oilers |
| 32 | Brian Skrudland | C | Calgary Flames |
| 33 | Mike Hough | LW | Washington Capitals |
| 35 | Dave Lowry | LW | St. Louis Blues |
| 38 | Bill Lindsay | LW | Quebec Nordiques |
| 40 | Andrei Lomakin | RW | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 41 | Randy Gilhen | C | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 43 | Doug Barrault | LW | Dallas Stars |
| 46 | Marc Labelle | LW | Ottawa Senators |
| 48 | Pete Stauber | LW | Detroit Red Wings |

#### Notes

* Lost in Expansion Draft phase two to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

### NHL Draft

Florida's draft picks at the 1993 NHL entry draft held at the Quebec Coliseum in Quebec City, Quebec.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College/junior/club team |
| 1 | 5 | Rob Niedermayer | C | Canada | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) |
| 2$^1$ | 41 | Kevin Weekes | G | Canada | Owen Sound Platers (OHL) |
| 3 | 57 | Chris Armstrong | D | Canada | Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) |
| 3$^1$ | 67 | Mikael Tjallden | D | Sweden | MODO (Elitserien) |
| 3$^2$ | 78 | Steve Washburn | C | Canada | Ottawa 67's (OHL) |
| 4 | 83 | Bill McCauley | C | United States | Detroit Junior Red Wings (OHL) |
| 5 | 109 | Todd MacDonald | G | Canada | Tacoma Rockets (WHL) |
| 6 | 135 | Alain Nasreddine | D | Canada | Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) |
| 7 | 161 | Trevor Doyle | D | Canada | Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) |
| 8 | 187 | Briane Thompson | D | Canada | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) |
| 9 | 213 | Chad Cabana | LW | Canada | Tri-City Americans (WHL) |
| 10 | 239 | John Demarco | D | United States | Archbishop Williams High School (USHS-MA) |
| 11 | 265 | Eric Montreuil | C | Canada | Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL) |
| S | 4 | Chris Imes | D | United States | University of Maine (Hockey East) |

#### Notes

* The Panthers acquired these picks as the result of a trade on June 26, 1993 that sent a second-round pick in 1993 (31st overall) to Winnipeg in exchange for these picks.
* The Panthers acquired this pick as the result of a trade on June 25, 1993 that agreed that Florida selected Darren Puppa in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft to Tampa Bay in exchange for this pick.
    Tampa Bay previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 22, 1993 that sent Peter Taglianetti to Pittsburgh in exchange for this pick.
* The Panthers second-round pick went to the Winnipeg Jets as the result of a trade on June 26, 1993 that sent a second and third-round pick both in 1993 (41st and 67th overall) to Florida in exchange for this pick (31st overall).