With all the uncertainty regarding the Panthers ownership and finances over the last few years, the roster was stagnant. Free agent signings and personnel additions were few and far between. it seems those days are over.
Now that Vincent Viola has taken control of the organization, he gave GM Dale Tallon the go ahead to add some pieces to the lineup. Tallon followed suit by signing goaltender Tim Thomas, forward Brad Boyes, and defenseman Tom Gilbert to one-year deals. Such veteran additions will certainly bolster both ends of the ice, and will disappoint some of the youngsters vying for roster spots.
Boyes, who has recently been playing on a line with Kris Versteeg and rookie Aleksander Barkov, has fit in well with his new team and was one of the consistent scorers during preseason. The 31-year-old has 407 points in 606 career NHL games, which includes 10 goals and 25 assists last season. The offensive help will certainly be welcome.
Gilbert, 30, has also provided an offensive spark during the preseason, and will provide nice depth to the blue line.
Thomas, 39, looks fresh and ready to go after taking last year off. If healthy he is certainly an upgrade over Scott Clemmensen, and it will be interesting to see if Clemmy or youngster Jacob Markstrom will serve as backup as the season progresses. It may be more important for Markstrom to continue to work on his game in San Antonio.
While these additions look minor on the surface, it is still foreshadowing for the future that Viola meant what he said he will do whenever possible to help Tallon make this team better. Reports are that Tallon might not be done shopping now that league-wide cuts have been made.
The Panthers look to have a well-balanced lineup that has a great mix of youth and veteran talent. If healthy, this should be a very competitive squad no matter the opposition.
The next bit of interesting information will be how head coach Kevin Dineen sets his lines, because in all honesty there are many different combinations that would make sense. Regardless, it's time for hockey, and that's a wonderful thing.
Dan Spiegel...
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