Dan Spiegel: Worst Start In Franchise History

Dan Spiegel: Worst Start In Franchise History
- spiegs13

home, sweet home.

ugh, first comment I wondered how long until the lui subject came p

home, sweet home.
- strombone

Roberto?

Can I have some money?

Roberto?

Can I have some money?
- Frank_Grimes

You short again? I thought I paid up on Friday?

You need goaltending.

You short again? I thought I paid up on Friday?
- strombone

Well I bought a Luongo sweater for each team in the league, just in case...so yeah, I'm broke...But prepared for any pending trades

its ok nobody needs goaltending...ask Nonis & Tallon.......Stevie Y u are next!

Luongo, Raymond + Ballard for Gudbranson, matthias + Markstrom

I feel that the Panthers playoff appearance last year did them injustice. I like your team and you have a lot of young pieces, but you guys still don't have your bonafide star forward. Campbell is a great defensemen, but how many teams besides nashville win with their best player being a defensemen? A bottom 5 pick last year would have gave you guys a better nucleus moving forward. 18 OTL last year is a big indication of how the season could have been another non-playoff appearance. If you guys were to finish bottom 5 this year and get a good forward or seth jones, you will be a good team moving forward.

Not hating though, I wish the panthers better.

Dan Spiegel: Worst Start In Franchise History
- spiegs13

Before FLA dishes out tons of assets for Luongo, I think they should at least try Markstrom in net. I think he's ready for an opportunity.

Would you consider Upshall a name to be shipped out? I think EDM can use a player like Upshall or Skille.

You need goaltending.
- LeftCoaster

Ok kovalev and a third round pick deal.

He will fit perfectly with your team!

But on a serious note we will bring in markstrom before we take your goalies. Our goalies aren't the problem it's the whole (frank)ing team!

And the nucks wonder why so many people troll them.

I feel that the Panthers playoff appearance last year did them injustice. I like your team and you have a lot of young pieces, but you guys still don't have your bonafide star forward. Campbell is a great defensemen, but how many teams besides nashville win with their best player being a defensemen? A bottom 5 pick last year would have gave you guys a better nucleus moving forward. 18 OTL last year is a big indication of how the season could have been another non-playoff appearance. If you guys were to finish bottom 5 this year and get a good forward or seth jones, you will be a good team moving forward.

Not hating though, I wish the panthers better.
- Danformo

I am not a fan of using injures as an excuse but we are missing some key pieces right now for starters Weiss our #1 center. Next we are missing goc, bergie, gudbranson, verteeg just came back its going to take a little time for him to be in game shape. And one thing that is hurting us big time we didn't have many players play during the lockout and half of the ones who did are hurt.

I am not happy at all about this poor start and it's disgusting the way the last couple of games have gone tonight we didn't play that bad thou. But once this team gets going things will look a lot different.

Before FLA dishes out tons of assets for Luongo, I think they should at least try Markstrom in net. I think he's ready for an opportunity.

Would you consider Upshall a name to be shipped out? I think EDM can use a player like Upshall or Skille.
- deks1

It would depend and what the offer is we have no need for horcoff or anyone the oliers are just begging to dump.

I feel that the Panthers playoff appearance last year did them injustice. I like your team and you have a lot of young pieces, but you guys still don't have your bonafide star forward. Campbell is a great defensemen, but how many teams besides nashville win with their best player being a defensemen? A bottom 5 pick last year would have gave you guys a better nucleus moving forward. 18 OTL last year is a big indication of how the season could have been another non-playoff appearance. If you guys were to finish bottom 5 this year and get a good forward or seth jones, you will be a good team moving forward.

Not hating though, I wish the panthers better.
- Danformo

Yeah, all those high draft picks really turned your islanders into contenders fast!

Oh wait.....no, they didn't.

FYI, Florida has the best young core of prospects in the league, period.

Problem is they overachieved last year and scraped out a bunch of OTL points with bargain bin scrubs for forwards, and that made them look like a playoff team because the rest of their division underacheived.

This year, they'll regress, as Tampa will have a chokehold on the SE all season, and then after they get some development time in for their youth they'll be pushing Tampa for the division in a couple seasons.

And the nucks wonder why so many people troll them.
- Crazycaboose

Right? As if goaltending is Florida's issue.....

Theodore has been great, and Markstrom is right there in the wings.

Problem is a combination of injuries, lack of forward depth, and of course Filip Kuba.

Oh where to begin.. I don't have too much time as I leave for work shortly......

The whole team needs to be retooled, reshaped, and rehashed. Luongo is NOT the answer at this point. If that trade was going to help, it should have been made two weeks ago. We all know that didn't happen. Markstrom, on the other hand, is the answer. While he got off to a slow start, he was in game shape and has been playing some amazing hockey down in the AHL. He should have been here to start the season. His time is now. Clem is the odd man out in the goaltending trifecta, so ship him to whoever for whatever, and let Theo back up Markstrom. He's younger and can handle the rigorous schedule much better. I love Shore. I love Huberdeau. Howden clearly isn't ready. I cannot wait for Bjugstad. We still have Rau, Grimaldi, Robak, etc... but we are surrounding them with crap. Right now, we need to let Huberdeau, Mueller, and Shore be the top line. Why not? They're all young, and have a ton of speed. They all complement each-other perfectly. Drop Weiss, Flash, and Steeger down to the second line, and go from there. Let's be real, that line has seen it's glory days come and go.

Injuries are KILLING us. You can say it isn't an excuse all you want, but the fact of the matter is we are missing some key guys. Weiss, Goc, Gudbranson, Bergenheim.. these were key cogs in our playoff machine last season. With them in the lineup, you don't need Smithson, Skille, etc..

Kovelev.. I don't know. I feel like he can do some things but he just isn't. Kopecky had a good game last night, but i see him on the block. Upshall too. Jovo... I hope he's enjoying his stint as captain because it should be over soon. That's all for now. Holla.

Right? As if goaltending is Florida's issue.....

Theodore has been great, and Markstrom is right there in the wings.

Problem is a combination of injuries, lack of forward depth, and of course Filip Kuba.
- TommyDeVito

Gillis took a risk by not dealing with the Lu saga before the season started. I don't see the Leafs paying much for him at this point. Their goaltending has been up and down so far this year, but then again so has Vancouver's. If anything it's looking like the goaltending is improving over last year, so why make the trade? Florida is a fit just because he wants to live there. Otherwise, If Theodore is playing well enough, what is the point? Look at how hard it is to move Lu right now when the understudy is outperforming, think of how it could be in 2 years if Markstrom plays into the #1 role. Unfortunately for all of us, the Lu situation could last for a while. A team like Washington could look at him if they're on the bubble and don't have the faith in the youngsters. I don't know what their cap situation is like after this season.

Ok kovalev and a third round pick deal.

He will fit perfectly with your team!

But on a serious note we will bring in markstrom before we take your goalies. Our goalies aren't the problem it's the whole (frank)ing team!
- Crazycaboose

It would depend and what the offer is we have no need for horcoff or anyone the oliers are just begging to dump.
- Crazycaboose

No, I wouldn't offer Horcoff. Ideally I would suggest Horcoff be bought out this season end. I just think Upshall could be expendable for young prospects or picks.

I feel that the Panthers playoff appearance last year did them injustice. I like your team and you have a lot of young pieces, but you guys still don't have your bonafide star forward. Campbell is a great defensemen, but how many teams besides nashville win with their best player being a defensemen? A bottom 5 pick last year would have gave you guys a better nucleus moving forward. 18 OTL last year is a big indication of how the season could have been another non-playoff appearance. If you guys were to finish bottom 5 this year and get a good forward or seth jones, you will be a good team moving forward.

Not hating though, I wish the panthers better.
- Danformo

This analysis could not be more spot on. The Panthers lack bonifide elite offensive talent at the forward position. While I thoroughly enjoyed the playoffs last year I still think this team isn't even close to contending. We need more firepower up front and we aren't convincing any free agents to come here so it has to be done through the draft and the best upgrades are almost always found in the top 5 picks.

No, I wouldn't offer Horcoff. Ideally I would suggest Horcoff be bought out this season end. I just think Upshall could be expendable for young prospects or picks.
- deks1

Ya I could see them move him for picks thou I don't think the cap would allow it because I think it would put us under the cap floor.

Right? As if goaltending is Florida's issue.....

Theodore has been great, and Markstrom is right there in the wings.

Problem is a combination of injuries, lack of forward depth, and of course Filip Kuba.
- TommyDeVito

Ya will you take him back we don't want him anymore!

Bottom line as a team that does not score consistently but puts in lots of effort, you can expect a slightly above average goaltender statistically in Theodore to steal points in many of his starts while you grind out 1 goal wins and OTLs. As the same above team committing defensive zone turnovers, weak back checking, winning only 20% of the puck battles, pedestrian movement and flow on the power play and poor PK coverage you can expect to get blown out night after night.

Goaltending is not the issue when the team in front is playing so poorly. End of story.

Our best defenseman in the last 5 games is Strachan because every other one in the lineup stinks right now or is under performing. Cambell and Kuba are not meshing on the power play. Cambell looks slow right now. Kuba's decision making is like half a second slow. Jovo is a turnover machine right now and slow of skate to boot. Kulikov is losing lots of board battles. Weaver is being out muscled. Ellerby tried to have a better game with a fight but we still ended up on the short end of the stick after the dust settled.

Huberdeau, Mueller and Shore need to stay intact. They had speed, generated chances off the rush and in the corners plus won faceoffs. Shore appears to have good instincts and has the frame for solid board play. Paired with skilled guys this could be a line to watch.

Fleischmann is starting to get into form IMO. Versteeg did not go full bore 100% on the speed last night but he made some moves with the puck looking for openings. I did not like Mathias with Kovalev. Just didn't see any chemistry there. Upshall had a great chance but couldn't convert. Still I think it is a positive that the chances were there. I would like to see a 4th line of Skille-Smithson-Mathias. Speed on the wings with a defensive center that wins faceoffs. Parros needs to sit IMO. If after 5 games of frustrating losing hockey there havent been any times we needed him to spark the team then we don't need him in the lineup.

And the nucks wonder why so many people troll them.
- Crazycaboose

Because we have the best team in hockey the past 5 years?