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10 Pre-Season Questions and Answers

August 11, 2008, 9:23 AM ET [ Comments]
Dan Spiegel
Florida Panthers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
With camp a month away, let's look into the top ten issues surrounding this team that will be the difference between playoffs or (gulp) not.

1) Will Nathan Horton eliminate concerns over a lack of team offensive firepower by living up to his potential?

A: No. Horton's talent and potential are through the roof, but to date he has never showed the consistency or leadership to be the 50-goal scorer that many feel he can be. Another 30-30 season can be expected, but 40 goals would be a welcomed surprise.

2) Can David Booth improve on his breakout season or has he already reached his production plateau?

A: A slight improvement could be expected, but until he finds away to avoid the constant weak shot from a bad angle down the wing, not much more can be expected. He'll obviously be on the top two lines, but 50 points is probably the limit.

3) Will Shawn Matthias and/or Michael Frolik make the team out of camp?

A: Yes. The time is now to let the youngsters loose. Jacques Martin's maddening, conservative approach to young players finally has come to a head. Matthias surely will make the team, but Frolik could be sent back down to season in the minors for one more year. All eyes will be on Matthias, as he and Bryan Allen are the only assets remaining from the Luongo debacle.

4) Who are the defensemen most likely to be traded before the season opener?

A: Karlis Skrastins and Cory Murphy. The current surplus of defensemen has the Panthers in a good position to hopefully add more offense. Skrastins was solid last year after being acquired in the Salei trade, and would be a sound addition to any team looking for a second/third line defenseman. Murphy had a poor year after suffering through what apparently was the worst shoulder bruise in sports history, keeping him out for about three months. Murphy still has value as a puck-moving defenseman and power play quarterback. With Ballard now in the fold and Van Ryn's wrist problems behind him, Murphy is probably the odd man out.

5) Will the Panthers lead the league again in shots against?

A: No. Peter DeBoer's new system will make sure this doesn't happen. The word is the Cats will be much more up-tempo and offensively aggressive, which will hopefully decrease opponents' scoring chances. In addition, the defensive corp got much tougher during the summer with the addition of Ballard and Boynton.

6) Will Jay Bouwmeester be a Panther after the trade deadline?

A: No. It is highly unlikely the Panthers will be firmly in playoff contention at that point, and the organization will not be able to let him go for nothing next summer. Peter DeBoer has a lot of work to do to convince Jay Florida is the place to be. And most reports have said Jay will not stay a Panther under any circumstances.

7) Will Craig Anderson help lighten the load on Vokoun this year by getting more starts?

A: Yes. Anderson showed last year that he might be one of the best backups in the league and deserves more time to keep Vokoun fresh. A healthy Vokoun is a must for the Panthers to have any chance at the playoffs and there were times last year when he looked slow and tired. Certainly no platoon here, but look for Anderson to get 20-25 starts.

8) Will the Booth, Weiss, Horton line be kept together?

A: No. Camp will show that the youth infusion will show it's obvious to break up the talent more evenly over the top three lines. With the hopeful emergence of Matthias, Frolik, and Olesz, and the return of Richard Zednik, it will serve more valuable to pair veterans with youth. And since this line was painfully and mistakenly named the Sunrise Express during a contest last year, it needs to be blown up immediately.

9) Will Jacques Martin be able to keep his paws off DeBoer's job?

A: No. Panther fans are scared to death of this, and unfortunately it's probably inevitable. However, it's possible that a slight dose of this might not be too damaging. Once this hire was announced, red flags came up everywhere regarding this possibility. Hopefully even JM will know the best chance for this team is to stay out of the way.

10) Will the Panthers finally end their playoff drought?

A: Yes, barely. The Panthers are looking at a seven or eight seed. Tampa, while their defense is suspect, is much improved, and Carolina will continue to be a thorn in the Cats' side. The rise of the Capitals makes the division brutal. The best thing for the Panthers is the new schedule that takes two games against each division team away. This should help them keep pace and squeak in. An early exit is to be expected, but finally a big step will be taken to future success.


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