Erik Gudbranson is a guy any team would want in their locker room.
He's incredible with the media, giving in terms of charity, and simply a great guy to be around.
On the ice, he's a bit of an enigma.
The game he brings is tough as nails, yet sometimes out of position.
He has a cannon for a slapshot, but rarely uses it.
So he cannot be considered a shutdown defenseman nor is he a player that opposing teams need to worry about offensively.
Yet he is deemed part of the strong core that GM Dale Tallon has assembled in South Florida.
Is it warranted? Yes.
Does he need to improve? Yes.
Gudbranson was picked 3rd overall in the 2010 NHL Draft and now has 245 NHL games under his belt. The magic number of games played for NHL defesemen to grow and mature is widely considered to be 300. Barring injury he will hit that number next year.
His career totals to this point are 9 goals, 24 assists, and is a -52. Many people will say that +/- is a worthless stat, but in this case is it? This is a top 3 NHL pick about to start his 5th NHL season. No doubt he has played on some bad teams, but should Panther fans be alarmed?
On the bright side, he set career highs with 4 goals and 9 assists last year. That goes well with his 58 PIM, 75 blocks, and 212 hits over 76 games. He was only a -4 for the season, which is also a career best.
So the trend is upward.
Gudbranson seems to be the type of player that when it all comes together, it will be seemingly in an instant, then never worried about again.
But to this point all of "it" has not arrived.
To be clear, Gudbranson could EASILY be the next captain of the Florida Panthers. Tallon is no stranger to wanting guys around for all the intangibles a player might bring on and off the ice. Erik certainly would fit that bill.
But I must confess if there was one player on the Panther roster that I thought may be included in a trade to get Kessel or another bonafide scorer, it was Gudbranson.
The Panthers are so organizationally deep on the blue line, and with Alex Petrovic being signed a two-year, one way deal, it might have made sense to move him.
Not that I thought it would be a good idea. I think that Gudbranson is going to blossom into a very good player over the next few years. But no one could blame Tallon giving up potential value for a proven scoring commodity at this point in the development of this young roster.
But young is probably the most determining factor as to why Gudbranson is not only still here, but could/should be here for many years to come. He's about to enter his 5th NHL season and he's only 23. Even I had to make sure that was right.
There are only so few Aaron Ekblads in the world that can come right in as an 18 year old, light the world on fire, and win the Calder. Most defenseman have to WORK at their craft. Some take longer than others. Gudbranson might just be that type of player that will pay off huge in time.
Maybe it will take 400-450 games for his entire game to come together. So be it.
But in my many conversations with him no one is a harsher critic on himself than himself.
When he was scratched in late March after practically costing the Panthers a critical game at Tampa while clinging to playoff hopes, he was certainly angry. He knows he is better than that, and so does the Panthers organization.
But every negative blip on the radar, no matter how infrequent, has to make Tallon question what to do. With Petrovic practically locked into a roster spot and Matheson, McCoshen, and Weegar on the horizon, this blue line group is going to get squeezed. Campbell and Mitchell should be gone after next season. What if Steven Kampfer continues to improve? Would Tallon be willing to trade Kulikov before Gudbranson? I dare say no, simply because of the offensive upside and developing grit in Kulikov's game.
Gudbranson has one year left at $2.5 million before he is an RFA next summer. It would not be surprising to this writer if that becomes a sensitive affair. Hopefully Gudbranson will have the type of season to ensure he gets paid very handsomely relative to other defenseman drafted so high.
But the question I pose to you is...will he? Can he?
Thanks for reading, and as always I appreciate your comments.
Dan Spiegel Florida Panthers Media