The Florida Panthers have been the perennial team to “take the next step… since the 2015-16 when they were knocked out of the first round of the playoffs by the New York Islanders. Many fans and experts saw that team as the starting point to better things to come for an organization mired in years of poor play.
2016 was a glimmer of hope of things to come. For a franchise that has made the playoffs only six times in 28 years, and hadn’t won a playoff round since 1996, the first round exit to the Islanders - though tough - was also very promising for the future.
Fast forward a handful of years and the Panthers find themselves stuck in neutral:
2016–17: Did not qualify for playoffs 2017–18: Did not qualify for playoffs 2018–19: Did not qualify for playoffs 2019–20: Lost in Qualifying Round (Islanders) 2020–21: Lost in First Round (Lightning)
Coming off a well-fought first round exit to the eventual cup-winning Lightning and the fantastic recent moves/signings by Bill Zito, the Panthers find themselves yet again in the position of being “the next big thing….
But will they reach out and grab that opportunity?
Fans should absolutely be excited heading into the upcoming season. The roster that has been assembled could possibly be the most talented one Florida has had since coming into the league. While those early teams were built on blue collar, hard working players that found success by grinding it out each night, the league has changed since then and many of today’s successful teams are often comprised of an abundance of skilled players (duh).
There is still very much a place/need for hard, physical play, but it would appear (at least to me) that Zito has structured this Cats team with idea of overwhelming the opposition offensively, while helping take pressure off the defense - Florida’s notorious weak point.
On paper, this Panthers team should regularly light the lamp. But will they be able to in a season that returns to normal? As Adam Gretz says in his NBC Sports article:
“The Panthers return to the Atlantic Division where they will have to face Tampa Bay, Boston, and Toronto at the top, while also having to play the rest of the top teams in the league that they did not have to face a year ago with the divisional schedule. While they still had to play a significant portion of their schedule against Tampa Bay and Carolina (9-10-4 record, including playoffs) they also had a healthy dose of Chicago, Columbus, and Detroit (19-4-1 record) mixed in.
Having to compete for a playoff spot with the Lightning, Bruins, and Maple Leafs will not be easy, while also getting regular games against the rest of the league’s top teams. But this is definitely a Panthers team that took a big step forward this past season and has the roster to maybe take another step this season. Are they a Stanley Cup team just yet? Maybe not. But this the most reason for optimism Panthers fans have probably ever had.…
But as Gretz points out, and something we all know, the ingredients for success are there:
“They have a three-time Stanley Cup winning coach in Joel Quenneville. There are two All-Star level players and elite scorers at the top of the lineup in Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. They have also given that duo a strong complementary core of forward depth with Carter Verhaeghe, Patric Hornqvist, Sam Reinhart, Anthony Duclair, Frank Vatrano, Sam Bennett, and now Thornton. There is also the emergence of a potential star in goal with Spencer Knight inching his way closer to being the team’s full-time starting goalie. Sergei Bobrovsky is still on the roster with that contract, but Knight is clearly the future and made a strong first impression this past season.…
So the questions really become:
1. What does a “successful… season look like for the Florida Panthers? 2. If they fail to reach that success, what then?
The ultimate success is winning the Stanley Cup of course. Is this a Stanley Cup team? I don’t know. While there’s an improved core on the blue line with Ekblad, Weegar, Forsling and Gudas, I think another addition to the backend would really benefit this team. What Bob we get is also a big factor. Assuming Knight is the backup, I wouldn’t want to put too much hope in him just yet, so Bob returning to CBJ form would be huge for the team and Knight. Then, of course, there’s the forward group. These guys need to produce each night. They look to be a serious threat through all four lines, but looking like an offensive powerhouse and playing like one are two different things.
I think a successful season for these guys re-entering the Atlantic and playing teams across the league is to beat the teams you should beat, compete with the ones you should compete with and make a legitimate playoff run. Anything can happen in the playoffs and the Cats need to get past their first-round historically bad mojo and into the second round at a minimum.
Question two comes into play if they fail to make the playoffs or are bounced from round one again. This is a step backwards and leaves them in the purgatory they’ve been in for years - flirting between a team that grabs hold of their opportunity and one that never lived up to what they could/should have been.
If this happens, one has to wonder if Zito makes some major changes. I personally am under the belief that this is one of the most important seasons in Florida history. To me this is it. You either grow or you don’t. If they don’t, then I think the hammer — err, axe, has to come down.
In some ways, the Panthers share some similarities with the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs carried a core of Rizzo, Baez and Bryant for years. When brought in and signed, these guys were toted as the nucleus that would be built around to bring multiple championships to Chicago. While the they won the World Series in 2016, they could never return to form (individually and as a team) and all three of those guys were finally traded away on the same day a couple weeks ago - ripping the proverbial bandaid of “un-tradeable… players off Cubs fans everywhere.
In some respects, I see Barky, Huby and Ekblad as a similar situation to the above mentioned Cubs players - minus the championship.
I’m certainly not saying to trade all of those guys away if the Cats stumble this season, but I do think some serious analysis has to be done when looking at the roster. No one should be “safe… when it comes to trying to improve the team.
When the Cubs slashed their big three, a Chicago sports media personality wondered if the front office would step in and stop a Bryant trade (who was the last to be moved) as a way to spare the fans’ feelings from a “traumatic… day of trades. I thought that was one of the strangest (and softest) ideas. Sports are a brutal business and they often don’t care about a fanbase’s love for a player(s). They will make moves they feel will pay off in the short or long term for the benefit of the organization. Sometimes they’re right, sometimes they’re wrong. But it’s part of the business.
Greg Wyshynski of ESPN reported this a couple days ago.
Aleksander Barkov contract update, as the star center enters the last year of his contract. @FlaPanthers #NHL https://t.co/UMgled7lc6
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) August 16, 2021
“Aleksander Barkov is entering the last year of his six-year contract with the Florida Panthers. ESPN asked GM Bill Zito if there was a date when he’d have to consider trading the star center. He said there isn’t one, because “I’m confident we’ll be able to work something out.… Zito said an extension will “probably… come before the 2021-22 NHL season begins in October. Barkov’s agent Mark Gandler wouldn’t comment on the negotiations.…
I have no doubt that Zito gets a deal done with Barky. But I will be honest when I say that I have often wondered/questioned if the trinity of Barky, Huby and Ekblad are the guys that lead you to the Cup.
Again…I don’t say this to be controversial or stir the pot and I’m certainly not advocating for wild trades. I have just been thinking a good deal about this upcoming season and am seeing it as a make-or-break one for some of these guys.
What are your thoughts on this upcoming season? What do you do if the Cats are left spinning their wheels again after the 2021-22 campaign?
Rookie Camp / Tournament
Per George Richards of FLA Hockey Now the Lightning will be hosting a rookie tournament from September 18-21 where the Cats, Preds and Canes will all send rookies to participate.
According to Richards:
“Any skater or goaltender in each of the four organizations on an entry-level contract (or less), provided they are 24 or younger and have less than 20 games of NHL experience, are eligible to participate and exceptions may be permitted with prior approval from all teams.
Teams will dress 18 skaters and two goaltenders for each contest.
Games are regulation length with three 20-minute periods. A five-minute, three-on-three overtime period will determine a winner if games are tied after regulation. Games will conclude with a five-player-per-team shootout regardless of the final score.
A number of Florida’s young players will participate in the rookie camp and tournament including rookie goalie Spencer Knight who made his debut with the Panthers last season.
Others who are included in the roster mix include 2020 first-round pick Anton Lundell, 2018 first-round pick Grigori Denisenko as well as the likes of Matt Kiersted, Serron Noel and Max Gildon.…
Bill Zito also announced that the Cats will host their own little rookie camp prior to Tampa in Coral Springs September 10-14, but it’s not known if fans can attend.
Camp Roster:
Forwards
Eric Alarie, Karch Bachman, Henry Bowlby, Grigori Denisenko, Logan Hutsko, Anton Lundell, Justin Nachbaur, Serron Noel, Simon Pinard, Cole Schwindt, Justin Sourdif, Connor Trenholm, Trevor Wong.
Defensemen
Frédéric Brunet, Robert Calisti, Max Gildon, Braden Hache, Matt Kiersted, Jacob LeGuerrier, John Ludvig, Evan Nause.
Goaltenders
Olivier Adam, Tye Austin, Spencer Knight
I’m sure all eyes will be on Lundell!
Sweater Ads
By now you’ve all heard that the NHL has approved ads to be sewn on the front of jerseys for the upcoming season.
A dark day for the NHL with this news…
_________________
Go Panthers!