In their first game back from a well-deserved holiday break, the Florida Panthers will battle the cross-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.

The Panthers officially signed a former first-round pick to their active roster before Sunday's matchup with the Seahawks.

Jackson's sure to play physical with tone-setting tackles. There are flaws in his game the Seahawks can expose for big plays of their own, though.

With the No. 8 overall pick, the Panthers selected Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and he has already transformed the offense in his first season in the league. NFL.com writer Bucky Brooks graded the first-round picks and gave McMillan an "A" for his efforts.

The Carolina Panthers are getting one of their big hog mollies back for Sunday's matchup against the NFC-leading Seattle Seahawks. According to head coach Dave Canalaes, starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu is expected to return to the lineup here in Week 17.

Seattle’s defense again doing what it has all season also would set up a showdown next week at San Francisco for the NFC West title.

Aaron Ekblad is looking forward to the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic in Florida on January 2 -- but mainly, he just wants to win.

This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: What are the playoff-clinching scenarios for the Panthers in Week 17? Thanks to last week's massive 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Carolina Panthers will have a chance to clinch the NFC South in Week 17. But they'll need a little help.