Still Looking For its Roar

FLORIDA PANTHERS


2009-2010 record: 32-37-13 (77 points)
Did not qualify for the playoffs
Captain: Bryan McCabe
Alternate Captains: Stephen Weiss, Cory Stillman

3 players to watch: Florida would have had the worst record in the league last year had Tomas Vokoun not been in goal.  Okay, so maybe that's a stretch, but he is not only the team's best player, but also the most important.  He's important in that this is likely his last year, so if Florida is out of playoff contention come March, he could be moved for prospects.  Any way you look at it, Vokoun will be counted on to steal a lot of games for Florida, which sounds like an unenviable task, given the talent in front of him.  The lack of depth everywhere else is an issue, especially when the first line is David Booth, Stephen Weiss, and Michael Frolik. Frolik, in particular, needs to step up, as he is in what is potentially his walk year.  Without Nathan Horton, he has to step up his offensive output.  In the Keith Ballard trade this offseason, the Panthers got a potential 40 goal scorer in Michael Grabner.  In his brief call up to Vancouver last season, Grabner demonstrated his ability to put the puck in the net, scoring five goals in 20 games.

Things to look for: The Vokoun situation is the most obvious issue, as he could either be moved before the trade deadline or be allowed to walk at the end of the year.  Even if Vokoun leaves, the Panthers are set in goal, with Scott Clemmensen proving to be more than capable of handling the starter duties.  In due time, Jacob Markstrom will be the starter, so the future looks bright for Florida in goal.  However, nothing else in Florida looks good.  The depth on both the front and blue lines are pretty thin, and many of the kids on the team  Not enough talent from the veterans and just an overall dearth of offense will leave Florida competing for the first overall pick in next year's draft.  Losing Horton takes away from an already depleted offense, but Dennis Wideman should help out the need for offense from the blue line, if nothing else.

Prediction: 15th in the East

Song: Katatonia-A Darkness Coming

It looks like another year of no playoffs for Florida, and the feeling of no hope is captured within the Katatonia sound.