While the natural chorus of naysayers will be quick to come out on this post, the Florida Panthers literally have too many NHL caliber players to include on the roster on opening night. Most Negative Nancys will say the Panthers might have a lot of NHL talent, but the majority of it isn't very good. That remains to be seen.
GM Dale Tallon has done a fantastic job of stockpiling talent that is starting to blossom. Some of the exciting young core may have to wait another year due to all the good players in the organization. Thanks to Tallon, other parts of the young core are so good already they will be the keys to a playoff berth. Here are the forwards who are locks for a roster spot, as well as those on the bubble:
Roster Locks
Aleksander Barkov Jonathan Huberdeau Jussi Jokinen Brad Boyes Sean Bergenheim Scottie Upshall Tomas Kopecky Nick Bjugstad Derek MacKenzie Dave Bolland Tomas Fleischmann
On The Bubble
Shawn Thornton Jimmy Hayes Brandon Pirri Vincent Trocheck Rocco Grimaldi Drew Shore Quinton Howden
Thornton is obviously the enforcer of this team. Throughout the season he will probably get the night off from time to time due to his age and matchup with the opposing team. He should be on the roster opening night, and he surely will always be traveling with the team as a depth forward at the very worst.
Jimmy Hayes signed a new deal with Florida this summer and is a stud in front of the net on the power play. That alone may make him the favorite to win the last spot on the 4th line. He does everything relatively well for a huge man.
Brandon Pirri is a bit of an X factor because he showed last year he is a shoot first player and has really nice hands. In a pinch he could play on any of the four lines. I wouldn't be surprised to see him play so well in camp that someone like Scottie Upshall gets traded to make some room.
Vincent Trocheck got his first taste of the NHL last season and by all accounts the organization was very happy with his performance. But he still has work to do on his game, especially defensively, so it may make sense for him to continue to get regular playing time in San Antonio. He likely would be the first call up if any of the Panther centers get dinged up.
Rocco Grimaldi is the least likely of this group to make this year's roster, and a full year in San Antonio will be great for his overall development. But don't be mistaken. His time is coming. At all of 5'6" this lightning rod of a player is the real deal and Tallon is very excited about what Grimaldi will bring to the table. He's lightning quick, has great hands, and is so small he practically weaves through the defensive trees.
Drew Shore's development has been slow and steady. He is a good overall player but it is not clear if he will ever be better than a 3rd line center. Rumors have started to swirl that he might be on the market eventually. Perhaps packaging him and his potential with a overpriced contract (Upshall) might be in the cards for Florida down the road. Since the Panthers are known for having really tough luck regarding injuries, Shore is definitely on the short list of call ups if the team gets decimated.
Quinton Howden can skate like the wind, and if he wasn't so snakebit around the net his offensive totals for his young career would be higher. But that's just it. Can he develop the hands to go along with his good size and blazing speed? Perhaps he has plateaued but he is still an exciting, developing player.
With 11 forwards considered as "locks," it really comes down to seven players competing for one starting spot. Considering Thornton will always be in the mix, San Antonio is going to have a really good team this year or Tallon will be wheeling and dealing before the season starts. There just isn't enough room.
What do you think? Are the locks accurate? Is there anyone on the bubble that you think deserves to be in the "locked" category?
As always, thanks for reading, and I appreciate your thoughts.
Dan Spiegel Florida Panthers Media Follow me on Twitter Join the Florida Panthers Insiders FB Page Connect with me on Google Plus