Value of: fixing Florida's blueline

[I am not exposed]

How's Pysyk playing?

Overall, really good.

 

[GossomeRwing]

I am sorry but while Yandle is a great Offensive D-Man I think it is clear to anyone he is still a bit scary in his own D zone

Ekblad is a great young player no question

I have no problem with Demers but I would say he is a top 4 D-Man not a top line D-Man

I don't see a tough stay at home cease-clearing D-man in the current top 6

To say through 5 games 2 24 years olds look great I would simply say that it is a small sample size.

If winning the Cup is the goal this year you need to have serious depth on the blueline

As for the 3 players listed

Like I said Michalek and Yandle played together so they would have instant chemistry not saying they need to be on the same line but if an injury should occur they can pair up and not miss a beat

Polak is a big hitter and shot blocker, I am sure we all know the importance of shot blocking

Gunnarsson I think would be a great partner for Ekblad a steady no flash D-man

Florida has close to 9 million in Cap space

Trust me I am not saying any of the 3 are top line D-Men all I am saying is I would like to see some veteran leadership

I think Florida has some great young players and I think their forwards are a pretty good group I would like to see a banger in the top 9

I am a big Jagr fan and I think Florida could be a real contender this season but I just think the D needs to get smarter, tougher and just have more depth

 

[Strachan23]

I am sorry but while Yandle is a great Offensive D-Man I think it is clear to anyone he is still a bit scary in his own D zone

Ekblad is a great young player no question

I have no problem with Demers but I would say he is a top 4 D-Man not a top line D-Man

I don't see a tough stay at home cease-clearing D-man in the current top 6

To say through 5 games 2 24 years olds look great I would simply say that it is a small sample size.

If winning the Cup is the goal this year you need to have serious depth on the blueline

As for the 3 players listed

Like I said Michalek and Yandle played together so they would have instant chemistry not saying they need to be on the same line but if an injury should occur they can pair up and not miss a beat

Polak is a big hitter and shot blocker, I am sure we all know the importance of shot blocking

Gunnarsson I think would be a great partner for Ekblad a steady no flash D-man

Florida has close to 9 million in Cap space

Trust me I am not saying any of the 3 are top line D-Men all I am saying is I would like to see some veteran leadership

I think Florida has some great young players and I think their forwards are a pretty good group I would like to see a banger in the top 9

I am a big Jagr fan and I think Florida could be a real contender this season but I just think the D needs to get smarter, tougher and just have more depth

1. That's why he's in the top 4 and not on the top pair, where Ekblad and Yandle are.

2. Petrovic has the tools, just needs the experience. He's a physical guy and more stay at home. He'll grow into it, not physically, more so with time and confidence.

 

[Effe]

I am sorry but while Yandle is a great Offensive D-Man I think it is clear to anyone he is still a bit scary in his own D zone

Ekblad is a great young player no question

I have no problem with Demers but I would say he is a top 4 D-Man not a top line D-Man

I don't see a tough stay at home cease-clearing D-man in the current top 6

To say through 5 games 2 24 years olds look great I would simply say that it is a small sample size.

If winning the Cup is the goal this year you need to have serious depth on the blueline

As for the 3 players listed

Like I said Michalek and Yandle played together so they would have instant chemistry not saying they need to be on the same line but if an injury should occur they can pair up and not miss a beat

Polak is a big hitter and shot blocker, I am sure we all know the importance of shot blocking

Gunnarsson I think would be a great partner for Ekblad a steady no flash D-man

Florida has close to 9 million in Cap space

Trust me I am not saying any of the 3 are top line D-Men all I am saying is I would like to see some veteran leadership

I think Florida has some great young players and I think their forwards are a pretty good group I would like to see a banger in the top 9

I am a big Jagr fan and I think Florida could be a real contender this season but I just think the D needs to get smarter, tougher and just have more depth

No we aren't going for the cup this season.

Yes we have space now, but next season will Ekblad, hubbys and smiths new contract kick in.

And we don't need to fix our blue line.

 

[Juggernaut27]

The absolute last thing we need are more defenders.

Short of flipping a RH for a LHD, which would have to be some sort of ridiculous upgrade to make it worth it at the moment, there's nothing worth messing with.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

No we aren't going for the cup this season.

Yes we have space now, but next season will Ekblad, hubbys and smiths new contract kick in.

And we don't need to fix our blue line.

Uhhh, actually yes. Ownership made a point to specifically talk about losing in the first as a reason for these offseason moves.
And they said that any season that they don't win the cup is a failure, in response to explaining these offseason moves.
Pointed to the Penguins and the style they play as the style they wanted to copy, noting specifically because they (the Penguins) won the cup. So yes, they are going for a cup this year. From their own mouth. They've bludgeoned us over the head with it.
And honestly, if they aren't going for the cup, what are they doing? What were these moves for? It's not to just get out of the first round of the playoffs, they would have expected that from the previous roster this season if it had been kept together.

 

[Beezeral]

I am sorry but while Yandle is a great Offensive D-Man I think it is clear to anyone he is still a bit scary in his own D zone

Ekblad is a great young player no question

I have no problem with Demers but I would say he is a top 4 D-Man not a top line D-Man

I don't see a tough stay at home cease-clearing D-man in the current top 6

To say through 5 games 2 24 years olds look great I would simply say that it is a small sample size.

If winning the Cup is the goal this year you need to have serious depth on the blueline

As for the 3 players listed

Like I said Michalek and Yandle played together so they would have instant chemistry not saying they need to be on the same line but if an injury should occur they can pair up and not miss a beat

Polak is a big hitter and shot blocker, I am sure we all know the importance of shot blocking

Gunnarsson I think would be a great partner for Ekblad a steady no flash D-man

Florida has close to 9 million in Cap space

Trust me I am not saying any of the 3 are top line D-Men all I am saying is I would like to see some veteran leadership

I think Florida has some great young players and I think their forwards are a pretty good group I would like to see a banger in the top 9

I am a big Jagr fan and I think Florida could be a real contender this season but I just think the D needs to get smarter, tougher and just have more depth

Yandle has been just fine in the defensive zone. His style of play fits the Panthers new defensive scheme very well.

As for your other point, the Panthers (and most other teams) don't value stay at home crease clearing defesneman like you do anymore. There is a reason Russel couldn't get a contract until just before the season started (and then got one with one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL). There is a reason Polak's only FA offer this offseason was back to the leafs on a small 1 year deal. There is a reason every talking head lauded the Panthers for the Gudbranson trade. The game is evolving and the Panthers are trying to be an early adapter. You may think their d-group is weak, but it is exactly what they want. If you had watched them play at all this year, you would have noticed how well the defense has played so far.

 

[Strachan23]

No we aren't going for the cup this season.

Yes we have space now, but next season will Ekblad, hubbys and smiths new contract kick in.

And we don't need to fix our blue line.

According to who?

 

[Chaos2k7]

I am sorry but while Yandle is a great Offensive D-Man I think it is clear to anyone he is still a bit scary in his own D zone

Ekblad is a great young player no question

I have no problem with Demers but I would say he is a top 4 D-Man not a top line D-Man

I don't see a tough stay at home cease-clearing D-man in the current top 6

To say through 5 games 2 24 years olds look great I would simply say that it is a small sample size.

If winning the Cup is the goal this year you need to have serious depth on the blueline

As for the 3 players listed

Like I said Michalek and Yandle played together so they would have instant chemistry not saying they need to be on the same line but if an injury should occur they can pair up and not miss a beat

Polak is a big hitter and shot blocker, I am sure we all know the importance of shot blocking

Gunnarsson I think would be a great partner for Ekblad a steady no flash D-man

Florida has close to 9 million in Cap space

Trust me I am not saying any of the 3 are top line D-Men all I am saying is I would like to see some veteran leadership

I think Florida has some great young players and I think their forwards are a pretty good group I would like to see a banger in the top 9

I am a big Jagr fan and I think Florida could be a real contender this season but I just think the D needs to get smarter, tougher and just have more depth

Hire this man, obviously a brilliant talent evaluator.

 

[RainingRats]

We need a top 6/9 winger if we need anything

 

[Effe]

According to who?

Are we? We are continue to build up to be a contender, but we arent going in to make short time trades to win this season. Yes we can win this season, but no we arent going to trade for some vets to be little better this season for the cost of slower progress of our young guys, that wont happen.

 

[rockinghockey]

They could use a left shot 2nd pairing dman

 

[Dabeast]

They could use a left shot 2nd pairing dman

No they really couldn't. Michael Matheson has been very good.

 

[Russian Factor]

1. That's why he's in the top 4 and not on the top pair, where Ekblad and Yandle are.

2. Petrovic has the tools, just needs the experience. He's a physical guy and more stay at home. He'll grow into it, not physically, more so with time and confidence.

The absolute last thing we need are more defenders.

Short of flipping a RH for a LHD, which would have to be some sort of ridiculous upgrade to make it worth it at the moment, there's nothing worth messing with.

Would bet anything FLA with their shift towards mobile D that are good with the puck end up dealing Petrovic. He's a RHD and might have a little higher perceived value than actual value (if you go by most of his metric type stuff, which FLA seems to do now). So some team will give them a slightly better player I bet, maybe a LHD.

EDIT: although it's piling on at this point, OP is extremely off base. FLA low key has one of the best D cores in the league going forward

 

[aqsw]

Yeah. He's only been our best dman 5 games into the season and was selected the best dman at World Championships last year. Hate these liabilities

I'm pretty sure he forgot the sarcasm imogee.
Matheson is a beast, and most knowledgable fans know this.

 

[RichBaster]

Would bet anything FLA with their shift towards mobile D that are good with the puck end up dealing Petrovic. He's a RHD and might have a little higher perceived value than actual value (if you go by most of his metric type stuff, which FLA seems to do now). So some team will give them a slightly better player I bet, maybe a LHD.

EDIT: although it's piling on at this point, OP is extremely off base. FLA low key has one of the best D cores in the league going forward

Yeah I could see that too though that would force them to expose Pysyk in the Expansion draft to meet the exposure requirements. I expect that they would want to keep Petrovic as an obvious target for Vegas to claim and/or trade him to Vegas and recoup an asset that way. A lot of teams will be definitely making hard choices this year with an eye towards that expansion draft this summer.

 

[Russian Factor]

Yeah I could see that too though that would force them to expose Pysyk in the Expansion draft to meet the exposure requirements. I expect that they would want to keep Petrovic as an obvious target for Vegas to claim and/or trade him to Vegas and recoup an asset that way. A lot of teams will be definitely making hard choices this year with an eye towards that expansion draft this summer.

Forgot about that. Damn expansion draft forcing us good teams into tough choices

 

[CanadianPantherFan]

OP : who are you , and what are you trying to do to my blueline?

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Gunner's value to the Blues>His trade value.

 

[Benji Frank]

Biggest liability seems to be Matheson.

Think the Jets could ave him? We'll send you Stanley AND Stuart for him. Stuart hits hard too. And Stanley is tall.

I warned you all.

Now even the coaches have given up on him. Good luck getting anything for him.... Maybe you can still have Stanley, but Stuart stays put.