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Trading Stephen Weiss, The Face Of The Franchise

February 22, 2012, 8:31 PM ET [36 Comments]
Dan Spiegel
Florida Panthers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Whether GM Dale Tallon did it on purpose or not, the stench of Jacques Martin and Mike Keenan has mostly left this organization. A few parts remain on the big club in Dmitri Kulikov and Keaton Ellerby, with a few somewhat promising players in the minors, but mostly the slate is clean. Except for one.

Stephen Weiss, drafted in the first round by the Panthers in 2001, is now the face of the franchise, as well as the pain of the last decade. This talented two-way forward should be the reason everyone in the current locker room plays as hard as they can every night. Lord knows he deserves it.

The Panthers have not made the playoffs for a record ten straight seasons. One would think that being in first place in mid-February would be something to celebrate for a franchise that is obviously starving for any modicum of success. But there is a reason they do not have a 10-12 point lead in the Southeast division instead of being tied with Winnipeg. Much of it has to do with Weiss' production in 2012.

Two goals and ten assists is all Weiss has mustered in the last 29 games dating back to December 8th. More alarming is his -10 over this stretch. The best two way forward on the team performing that badly has trickled down to the rest of the team, which has scored only three goals over the last three games (all regulation losses). Weiss' frustration can be seen at practice as well as in games. He and the entire team are squeezing the life out of their sticks right now.

Tallon sent shock waves through Panther Nation as fan favorite David Booth was traded earlier this season for such a streak, which Tallon mentioned began last season and carried over to the current one. Booth's concussion issues were no help to his cause.

So the question has arrived. Is Weiss really a "needs a change of scenery" guy? Weiss? The guy who has been through all the futility and told Tallon he wanted to stay to turn this ship around (unlike Nathan Horton)? It is hard to fathom that such an outcome is on the horizon.

Weiss is certainly a much better player than he has been over these last 29 games. The opposition has figured out that if you can keep his line with Kris Versteeg and Tomas Fleischmann to the outside they are much less effective. Add the Panthers' problems of creating consistent secondary scoring and the formula to beat them is quite simple if executed properly.

But how valuable is Weiss to this team in Tallon's mind? Does Tallon's sense of "Panther history" win out here to keep Weiss in Sunrise indefinitely because of all he has been through and the quality person he is? Or does Tallon do whatever he can in his often shrewd manner to make his team better now and in the future?

It seems like Weiss has been here forever, and it is amazing he is still only 28. Predictable mismanagement forced him to play too early in his career, so he has a lot more NHL miles on him than most 28 year olds. Because of this, he is about to set the franchise record for games played as a Panther(614, passing Radek Dvorak) Thursday night. Would Tallon really trade him right after he sets this record?

As many around the league would say, Weiss is not a #1 center in this league, yet he still is for the Florida Panthers. In the coming years that will change whether Weiss is here or not with Huberdeau, Howden, and Bjugstad on the way. Surely one or two of these guys will be moved to wing, but they would probably be more offensively gifted than Weiss as the new #1 center.

His contract is reasonable at $3.1 million and he is signed through next season. It would be hard to believe him waiving his NTC if asked, unless it was to a bonafide contender like the Rangers or, dare I say it, Vancouver. Surely a few teams are kicking the tires on Weiss, and Tallon surely is listening to everything.

From a public relations standpoint, Weiss being jettisoned would be a huge problem. He is the only member of this team the entire remaining fan base can hold on to as the center of this painful journey back to prominence. He deserves a shot at the playoffs as a Panther, and the team will only improve in the years to come.

Still Weiss has been linked to many rumors over the years, and with this team closer than it has been in ages to the post-season it is only reasonable to consider his departure could be sooner than later. However, his dedication to this team and community deserves every chance to get this team rolling again towards the playoffs. A team without Weiss would certainly be odd, but also would be the last symbol of failed regimes sent off to different pastures.

Twitter @DanSpiegel
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