While Tom Rowe is the new General Manager for the Florida Panthers, there is no doubt this is the house that Dale Tallon built.
Now serving in a curious "President of Hockey Operations" role, Tallon has Florida on the brink of being formidable Cup contenders for many years to come.
Tallon built the foundation for the Chicago Blackhawks to win 3 Stanley Cups in the last 6 seasons. He brought them from doormats and little fan fare in the Windy City to being the toast of the town. While he had already arrived in Florida as the GM in May of 2010, everyone in the hockey world knew the 2010 Hawks (and to a large degree the 2013 team as well) were all Tallon's doing.
Not being able to celebrate a Cup as a member of the team he built has undoubtedly stuck in Tallon's craw for years, and now he is in a similar position to reap the rewards of his efforts, albeit in a different position.
How did the Panthers get here? From punchline to prime time? From retirement community to a stable of young studs?
Look no further than Tallon's draft picks. By and large the Panthers were a horror show in the draft for most of franchise history before Tallon's arrival, but once he arrived in Sunrise the tide turned.
Who was his best draft pick? I will let you decide. Personally there is one clear answer on this list. You can determine if the best pick is simply on talent alone or value for the position drafted. Yes a few players are playing elsewhere, but they were Tallon picks nonetheless and should be included.
This list may change in the future as there are other players he drafted that are still up and coming, but this list contains the players that have given at least a snapshot at the NHL level to show their current and potential value.
Here are the best of Tallon's picks. You decide the best...
2010 NHL Draft
Round 1, 3rd overall - D Erik Gudbranson (309 regular season games, 11 goals, 32 assists, -49, 346 PIM/13 playoff games, 0 goals, 0 assists, -4, 10 PIM)
Round 1, 19th overall- C Nick Bjugstad (226 regular season games, 56 goals, 60 assists, -37, 97 PIM/5 playoff games, 2 goals, 2 assists, +6, 2 PIM)
Round 2, 36th overall - D Alex Petrovic (112 regular season games, 2 goals, 19 assists, +8, 157 PIM/6 playoff games, 1 goal, 3 assists, +5, 4 PIM)
Round 4, 99th overall - RW Joonas Donskoi (76 regular season games, 11 goals, 25 assists, +4, 20 PIM/24 playoff games, 6 goals, 6 assists, even rating, 4 PIM)
2011 NHL Draft
Round 1, 3rd overall - LW Jonathan Huberdeau (272 regular season games, 58 goals, 114 assists, +7, 136 PIM/6 playoff games, 1 goal, 2 assists, +1, 10 PIM)
Calder Winner 2013
Round 3, 64th overall - C Vincent Trocheck (146 regular season games, 37 goals, 46 assists, +13, 74 PIM/2 playoff games, 0 goals, 1 assist, +1, 0 PIM) #TrocheckWasTripped TWICE
2012 NHL Draft
Round 1, 23rd overall - D Mike Matheson (3 regular season games, 0 goals and assists, +1, 2 PIM/5 playoff games, 0 goals, 1 assist, +1, 0 PIM)
2013 NHL Draft
Round 1, 2nd overall - C Sasha Barkov (191 regular season games, 52 goals, 67 assists, +11, 34 PIM/6 playoff games, 2 goals, 1 assist, -2, 2 PIM)
2014 NHL Draft
Round 1, 1st overall - D Aaron Ekblad (159 regular season games, 27 goals, 48 assists, +30, 73 PIM/6 playoff games, 0 goals, 1 assists, even rating, 0 PIM)
Calder Winner 2015
Which is the best pick? As always I look forward to your spirited opinions. I'll be revealing my answer over the next few days. ;-)
Dan Spiegel
Florida Panthers Media
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