It seems so odd to see the Panthers as buyers this time of year…but it’s awesome!
We’ve talked about it before that Florida’s window is open right now and they need to jump on the opportunity to add the right pieces to strengthen an already stellar roster in hopes of going the distance in the playoffs.
With that in mind, I was surprised to see a number of negative reactions to the trades made yesterday.
1. Chiarot
Florida’s big need on the backend is something that has not been a secret for a number of years. Some people are upset and claiming that Montreal fleeced Florida.
I don’t really see it that way. You’re looking at two teams that are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum.
Florida is in win-now mode and a couple pieces away from putting the finishing touches on a really dangerous team (more so than they already are). Picks and prospects are currency for the Cats to get what they need to put them in the best position to compete for the Cup. And let’s not forget that MTL is retaining 50% of Chiarot’s salary. That’s a really nice aspect to the trade that people seem to be over looking.
Montreal is in rebuild mode. They have had a far fall from where they were last year. Hard to believe a team that was in the Cup finals could be in the position they’re in now but various circumstances have contributed to the decline. They’re looking for picks and prospects to start rebuilding the Canadiens machine. Dealing Chiarot for prospect Tyler Smilianic, a 1st-round pick (13th overall) in 2023 and a 4th-round pick in 2022 (from the Vatrano trade I believe) is what they’re looking for.
This deal actually feels like a win-win for both sides to me given the position each team is in. I’ve heard good things about his “defensive-minded… game (awesome if true) and I liked what I saw of him in the playoffs last year, so let’s see what the guy can do for Florida.
2. Vatrano (to NYR)
This one certainly stung a bit, as a lot of us are fans of Mr. Shoot-First-Ask-Questions-Later Vatrano but it was obviously done to clear his $2.5 M in cap space and setup for something else - flipping the 4th you got for him to add in the Chiarot deal. It was very much a business move.
Take comfort in knowing that I don’t think you can go out on a higher note than Big Frank did after scoring both the tying and winning goals in his last game as a Florida Panther.
After trading Frank Vatrano to the Rangers the Florida #Panthers now have $5,453,347 in usable space in their LTI Salary pool.
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) March 16, 2022
Because the club is in LTI the above amount is not prorated, nor will it accrue or change the closer we get to the deadline.https://t.co/bg9YHHQ9nq pic.twitter.com/CVQw8Nq7HQ
Bruno on Frank:
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) March 16, 2022
"Its twofold. Frankie was part of this family since I've been here. He's a tremendous teammate and person, such a good player for us as long as I've been here. It's part of hockey. Things happen. We wish him nothing but the best. I think, for him, it's exciting."
And so now the question is if Zito is done or not?
The rumors that Giroux is still in the mix are very much prevalent. I’d like to see them get a solid backup added.
If you’re Florida - at this current time in Panthers history - you need to take big swings to bring in those pieces to get you to the ultimate goal. The window is only open for a short period of time. They need to get after it.
Very much looking forward to seeing what else they do!
Tonight
With all the excitement from yesterday, it’s easy to forget that the Panthers play the Golden Knights tonight. Would love to see the Cats pounce on this struggling VGK team and get a nice win on the road.
To be honest, I’m just pumped to see what other moves Florida makes…
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Another late one…Go Panthers!