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Poetic Justice Getting The #1 Pick, Sort Of

April 17, 2014, 1:04 AM ET [102 Comments]
Dan Spiegel
Florida Panthers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
As I mentioned in my last post, perhaps the hockey gods would shine brightly on the Panthers after snatching the first pick from them last year. And wow...it happened.

Most Panther fans had to be looking around in stunned silence as, well, they finally won something. Even Roberto Luongo jokingly tweeted on his "unofficial" Twitter account that this was the first time he had won anything.

For a team that has been rebuilding for almost two decades, this news couldn't come at a better time. Or could it?

In between last year's strong draft and next year's great draft is the 2014 NHL Draft. One in which there isn't even a consensus #1 pick. Of course the Panthers would win the first pick in a draft that is considered very weak. That is not to say the Panthers aren't going to get a good, perhaps even great, player in late June. It's just that even in good news there is some bad in this case.

If there is any silver lining, the Edmonton Oilers are starving for a franchise defenseman. Aaron Ekblad might be the best player in this draft, and both Florida and Buffalo in front of them could take him. That creates leverage. In this case it might be the best type of leverage since Edmonton is heavy in talented forwards, and Florida is in desperate need of such players. Maybe Florida acquiring one of those forwards to move down two spots and get either Bennett or Reinhart in the draft is just what the doctor ordered. But that is for a later discussion.

For now, the Panthers should be happy they are in their current position. In terms of what GM Dale Tallon has built to this point with very talented youth growing into NHLers, one or more pieces added this year should guarantee they will not be present in the lottery for many years to come.

Dan Spiegel
Florida Panthers Media
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