If you take the emotion from Florida Panthers fans out of the equation, new GM Tom Rowe made a positive deal Wednesday with the Vancouver Canucks, sending Erik Gudbranson and a 5th round pick this year for Jared McCann and 2nd and 4th round picks this year.
Most experts agree on face value Florida won this trade. Maybe big time.
However, anger and broken hearts abound in South Florida.
Gudbranson was Dale Tallon's first draft pick in 2010 and had been widely considered the next captain of the franchise. Just a few weeks ago it was speculated the two sides were on the verge of a long-term deal, but apparently they were far enough apart and rather settled on a one-year $3.5 million deal.
That raised concern in some circles, because such deals can often mean that one or both sides aren't necessarily committed to the other.
Now we know the answer.
Florida has been doing a lot of shuffling within the organization and many people have been relieved of their duties after the most successful season in franchise history. From equipment managers to assistant coach John Madden, it seemed everyone was fair game.
But this time the shuffling pertained to the on ice personnel, and for many it was a shocking development.
While Gudbranson brings bruising, gritty play to the blue line, he also was a big favorite of the female Panther fans (yes, there are TONS of them). Being as tough as you are handsome can go a long way, and he had no shortage of admirers in the land of the sun.
Looking at the roster as it currently sits, that toughness will be hard to replace. Shawn Thornton can't be counted on to be the protector of this team every game.
From a popularity standpoint, one would be hard pressed to find a more liked player both on and off the ice. Willie Mitchell said it all when he heard the news with his tweet that just said "WTF."
From a media standpoint, he was one of our favorites. He was always willing to talk as long as we wanted as well as being a very honest, open person. He certainly will be missed by everyone that had the joy of spending time with him.
The reality of the situation is that he never has lived up to his 3rd overall draft position. While he did have his best year as a Panther in 2015-2016 statistically, there is apparently much to be desired from a skill standpoint as far as management is concerned. He had 2 goals, 7 assists, and was a plus 3 for the season.
Tallon was "promoted" to President of Hockey Operations recently, with Rowe now serving as GM. There was plenty of speculation about Tallon knowing and/or approving of this deal since there seems to be some mystery about what exactly is going on at the upper levels of the organization.
With Gudbranson being Tallon's first ever pick, the speculation was warranted. But it was confirmed that he was involved and approved of the deal.
The old adage that a defenseman usually needs 300 games to show what he is going to be proved true here. After 309 games for Gudbranson Florida management knew the $5 million he'd be asking for next season was too steep for the return. With a player like Alex Petrovic who plays a similar style and is much better offensively, Gudbranson became expendable. Petrovic has only played in 112 games, almost doubled Gudbranson's point total this year, and was a plus 17.
On the horizon for the Panthers are some big signings. Aaron Ekblad is going to get PAID, and Jonathan Huberdeau will soon be up for a new deal. The team is in negotiation with Vincent Trocheck now and many other younger players will need to be resigned in the future. Locking up a large amount in Gudbranson in a long-term deal just didn't make sense with a skill set that is replaceable.
Young defenseman Mike Matheson shined in limited time for the Panthers at the end of the year and playoffs, making this move more comfortable for Florida brass. His Boston College temmate Ian McCoshen is also waiting in the wings to bring his gritty game to Sunrise. Both are projected to be solid top-4 defensemen.
In the short term, Rowe and company will likely have to sign a defenseman or two to round out the bottom pairing. If a young defenseman shines in camp, even better.
It was clear towards the end of this season the Panthers' main focus would be fleshing out the 3rd line. The top two lines of Huberdeau-Barkov-Jagr and Jokinen-Trocheck-Smith are set. Finding quality wings to play with Nick Bjugstad is key, and getting McCann in return is the beginning of fixing this problem.
Only 19 years old and full of promise, McCann was picked 24th overall by the Canucks in 2014. He had 9 goals and 9 assists in 68 games last year on a terrible Vancouver team. He projects to be a top-6 forward, is a solid two way player, and could be a perfect fit with Bjugstad. Add 2015 Florida 1st round pick Lawson Crouse to that line and they might be something special. At very worst they would be extremely hard to play against.
Line projections can be dealt with later, as many young players(especially Dryden Hunt) will be given the chance to earn the one or two spots available at the forward position. For now, an interesting piece was added to a team that is a little more scoring away from being a very formidable Cup contender.
With so many changes happening to the Panthers both organizationally and now with the roster, it's almost overwhelming for the fans. While it would be hard to imagine more major shakeups of a roster that had so much success this season, this deal certainly is considered major by many.
Many Canucks fans are disgruntled as it looks to be another fleecing. But Gudbranson will quickly become a fan favorite and hopefully will continue to develop into a player worthy of his draft position.
With just a few weeks on the job, Rowe made what he deemed a very difficult decision and pulled the trigger on a deal that will be closely watched moving forward. All things considered, it was a good day for the Florida Panthers...once the sadness subsides.
Dan Spiegel
Florida Panthers Media
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