2011-12 record: 38-26-18 (94 points)
Lost to New Jersey in Conference quarterfinals
Captain: TBD
After years of futility, one that saw them miss the playoffs for the entire decade of the 2000's, the Florida Panthers went on a spending spree like no other last offseason. The result? A division title and a playoff berth. This year, there is no spending spree, but the team is relevant again and they figure to once again be in a dog fight in the Southeast Division. Tomas Fleischmann and Kris Versteeg were part of the free-agency haul and they paid the most dividends, teaming with Stephen Weiss to be the top line on the team. Brian Campbell, a salary dump of the Blackhawks, ended up being the blue line spark plug the Panthers have long sought, and though Jason Garrison moved to Vancouver, he won't have too much of a drop-off in production, as Filip Kuba figures to slide into that spot. Kuba will benefit from Campbell in the same manner he did while having Erik Karlsson as a partner in Ottawa. Goaltending looks decent now with Jose Theodore and Scott Clemmensen, but will look even better in the future with Jacob Markstrom waiting for his opportunity. The Panthers have young players, but now can afford to let them develop while the veterans play. If you're looking for a wild card in all of this, it is the Roberto Luongo cloud that hovers over them, as he has expressed desire to be traded there.
Prediction: 9th in the East
Band: Obituary
I could have picked any death metal band from Florida for this spot. No, I do not have a real connection between the band and the Panthers other than they're from Florida.
No comments:
Post a Comment