2015-16 record: 47-26-9 (103 points)
Lost to NY Islanders in Conference quarterfinals
Captain: TBA
It was two seasons ago that the Florida Panthers were practically the doormat of the NHL. In truth, that was the most recognition they received in 14 seasons other than the 2011-12 aberration that saw them make the playoffs the lone time in that stretch. That anonymity began to fade a little in the 2014-15 season and seemingly, the 2015-16 season provided hope that the Panthers would be in it for the long haul. Despite an early exit in the playoffs, an Atlantic Division crown is an indication that the Panthers are on the right track, but they'd like to accelerate that evolution, and the off-season moves were a sign of that.
Up front, it's the kids' show, as Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, etc. are all 25 and under and are under contract for a few seasons, at least. Jaromir Jagr, who is definitely not a kid, but seemingly plays like one despite his 44-years on the planet, has been setting good examples for the rest to follow, and he led the team in scoring last season. If there is a concern, it's how the new pieces will fit in on the right side, especially the bottom two lines. Defensively, they're basically retooling and building around Aaron Ekblad, who is also under contract for the foreseeable future. Keith Yandle, Jason Demers, and Mark Pysyk are the new faces that will fill out the defensive six along with Ekblad, Mike Matheson, and whoever emerges from the group of Jakub Kindl, Alex Petrovic, Ian McCoshen, and Steven Kampfer. In goal, Roberto Luongo has been great since returning to the Panthers almost two and a half seasons ago, but he is expected to miss the first few weeks of the season after hip surgery. James Reimer was signed to not only be the goalie while Luongo recovers, but also provide quality backup goaltending and provide a buffer against next season's expansion draft. Reto Berra was also picked up for depth. If the Panthers hope to harbor Stanley Cup aspirations, they will need to fix their special teams, though picking up Yandle should help the power play. On the penalty kill, that's less of a certainty, though Demers may likely be seeing penalty killing minutes.
Prediction: 2nd in the Atlantic Division
The Panthers still need to win a playoff series, as they haven't done so since 1996, when they made the Stanley Cup finals. However, as last season proved, they are finally putting it together and feel that with a youthful core combined with veterans that can contribute significant numbers, the window of opportunity may be open for a while. The question is whether Florida can take advantage.
No comments:
Post a Comment