After years of bottoming out, it appears the Florida Panthers are finally moving in the right direction.
Florida finished with 91 points last season — a 25-point increase over the previous year — and with the team’s young core another year older it’s reasonable to expect they can reach that level again, especially considering they are due for a little more puck luck after finishing with the fifth-worst PDO (.991) in the league.
With two strong centres, a stud on the blueline and Roberto Luongo in goal, the Panthers have the ingredients needed to push for a playoff spot. Even if it doesn’t happen this season, it won’t be long before the Panthers live up to their immense potential on a consistent basis.
Head coach: Gerard Gallant
GM: Dale Tallon
Team payroll: $59.9 million against $74.1 million salary cap
Last season record: 38-29-15 (91 points, 6th in Atlantic)
Goals for: 198 (25th in NHL)
Goals against: 213 (tied for 14th in the NHL)
PP: 16.3% (24th in NHL)
PK: 80% (24th in NHL)
Corsi for per 60: 53.8 (20th in NHL)
Key acquisitions: Reilly Smith
Key departures: Jimmy Hayes, Tomas Kopecky, Scottie Upshall, Dan Ellis, Brad Boyes
Rookies to Watch :
Lawson Crouse: Florida Panthers fans won’t have to wait long for 2015 first-round pick Crouse to arrive, as the 18-year-old could jump straight from the OHL to the NHL. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Crouse has the size to pull it off and GM Dale Tallon has confidence the kid they call ‘The Sheriff’ will have no problem making the leap. “He was one of our best players in development camp and we are confident he can make an immediate impact on our roster, playing on one of our top lines,” Tallon said after inking the Mt. Brydges, Ont., native to an entry-level deal in July.
Rocco Grimaldi: On the other side of the physical spectrum is Grimaldi, Florida’s second-round pick, 33rd overall, in 2011. The 5-foot-6, 180-pound shifty forward will have a good shot at locking down a roster spot after a number of veterans were let go in the off-season. In his first-year pro after three successful seasons at North Dakota, Grimaldi had 14 goals and 42 points in 64 games with AHL San Antonio to go with one goal in seven games with the Panthers.
Highlight of 2014-15: Considering it was one of the strangest scenes in the NHL last season, Florida’s most memorable highlight has to be the goalie dilemma it was faced with against the Maple Leafs on March 3.
With both Roberto Luongo and Al Montoya suffering injuries during the game, the Panthers were scrambling to find a replacement in net. After several players left the bench to potentially gear up, the team ultimately called on goalie coach — and former NHL netminder — Robb Tallas to strap on the pads. With Luongo in street clothes and Montoya visibly labouring on the ice, it appeared that Tallas might get his first taste of NHL action since 2001. Luongo eventually returned to the ice to replace Montoya, while Tallas finished the game on the Florida bench.
PRE-SEASON POSITIONAL LETTER GRADES
FORWARDS
The Panthers have a lot of potential up front and it’s only a matter of time before it starts paying off. To succeed in the NHL, teams need strength down the middle and the Panthers have that in Aleksander Barkov and Nick Bjugstad. Bjugstad, 23, led the team in goals last season with 24 before his season was cut short in late March. Barkov is only 20 years old yet held his own as Florida’s most-used forward last season, finishing the year with 16 goals, 36 points and positive possession numbers.
The Panthers also have a pair of young wingers to complement their centres in Jonathan Huberdeau and rookie Crouse. Huberdeau bounced back from a disappointing sophomore campaign to finish with 54 points last season and will look to build on that in his fourth pro season. And of course there’s the ageless Jaromir Jagr, who is still great and will give it another go at the age of 43. Florida’s forward group is fairly top heavy and the team will need the kids to build on their offensive totals in order for the Panthers to have a shot at a playoff spot. GRADE: C
DEFENCE
Led by 2014 Calder Trophy winner Aaron Ekblad, the Panthers are in pretty good shape on the back end heading into the 2015-16 season. Ekblad was a monster for the Panthers last season and it’s scary to think how good he will become after scoring 12 goals and 39 points as an 18-year-old.
Brian Campbell, although getting up there in age, was a steady presence next to Ekblad and the two should bring more of the same to the table next season. Willie Mitchell is a good veteran presence on the second pair, although the Panthers need more out of Dmitry Kulikov, who has a good offensive skill set but leaves more to be desired. Erik Gudbranson has progressed slowly after going third overall in 2010, but he is a monster physically and gives the Panthers some bite in their own end. On the whole, the Panthers are a fairly sturdy group defensively, but lack firepower outside of the top pair. GRADE: C
GOALTENDING
With Roberto Luongo between the pipes, the Panthers have a chance to compete any give night. He has been fantastic since coming to Sunrise ahead of the 2014 trade deadline, and although he will turn 37 by season’s end Luongo has managed to stay healthy despite a heavy workload throughout his career. They will need him to continue that trend again in 2015-16 after Al Montoya struggled in his first season with the Panthers. GRADE: B+
The Panthers will have a successful season if… Roberto Luongo is Roberto Luongo. The Montreal native is coming off his best season since 2010-11, sporting a .921 save percentage and 2.35 GAA over 61 games. Yes he’s getting older, but Luongo has shown no signs that he’s on the decline and will be counted on to be a workhorse once again this season.
The Panthers will have a disappointing season if… They can’t find a way to generate more offence. The good news for the Panthers is that the bulk of their top offensive players are also their youngest, so the production should increase over time. But it might not be where it needs to be just yet, which could leave the Panthers on the outside of the playoff picture once again.