2013-14 record: 29-45-8 (66 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: TBA
The Florida Panthers began the season with Kevin Dineen as head coach and Tim Thomas as their starter in goal. They ended the season with Roberto Luongo as the starting goaltender and an interim coach getting canned. Oh, and they finished only ahead of Buffalo in the standings. Luongo returns as the starter, and he is going to have to stop a lot of pucks if the Panthers want to make the playoffs. The defensive unit is decent, but only Edmonton prevented the Panthers from finishing last in GAA. Of course, every goaltender not named Luongo or Tim Thomas had something to do with that, and with Luongo and even Al Montoya there, the defense should be improved. Aaron Ekblad has the potential to be a star, but defensemen coming straight from the Draft rarely make a big impact right away. That is why the Panthers brought in Willie Mitchell to add mentorship plus a winning pedigree to a unit that needs it.
Nick Bjugstad led the team with 38 points. That's not a typo. It gives you an idea of just how terrible the Panthers were in scoring. A healthy Aleksander Barkov would help, and he was given some help in the form of Jussi Jokinen. In addition, Dave Bolland, Derek MacKenzie, and Shawn Thornton were added to boost the team's bottom two lines while providing a toughness that the Panthers sorely lacked. That should open a few more lanes for the offense.
Prediction: 5th in the Atlantic Division
To think that the Panthers could make the playoffs is outrageous on the surface. However, Luongo's presence offers a peace of mind for the team, and that alone could boost the team morale.
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