Florida Panthers set to take step back?

[Panthaz89]

Have you not seen the roster turnaround especially at forward ? "Ok defense" is being very generous, that looks like a top 5 worst blue line so far on paper, maybe they can play better as a unit but it's not looking pretty. No first round pick until 2026 is brutal.

roster turnaround? They exchanged one elite forward for another and lost one other forward who isn't even one of their top 6.....

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I'm most curious to see how their offense performs this year. It seemed like every one of their forwards had career years to some degree (whether it was career high in goals or career high in points or both), so this year could see that offense drop back closer to around 9th or 10th versus 1st. Add to that the defense corps not looking too spectacular and I can see a regression in the standings.

I still think they'll make the playoffs, but I think it'll be closer to the 3rd seed or WC spot.

 

[Golden_Jet]

We’ll it’s obvious they’re taking a step back. Question is how many points back is the step.

 

[TheRumble]

Panther players that hit career highs in points or PPG last year:

- Huberdeau, replaced with Tkachuk also had a career high in points
- Barkov
- Sam Reinhart
- Antony Duclair
- Aaron Ekblad
- Carter Verhage
- Sam Bennett
- Mason Marchement, gone
- I'm leaving out Lundell because he was a rookie
- Weagar, gone
- Montour

If you're not keeping track, that's 11 of their top scorers having a career year at the same time.

That is not happening again.

 

[Nineteen67]

Add in the Maurice factor and you wonder if they’ve taken themselves out of contention

 

[Jussi]

Bob is definitely good enough to win with - he has 2 Vezinas.

The problem isn't if he's good - it's if he plays good or not. He's been wildly inconsistent year to year, and is unpredictable in that sense.

If he's on his game, no problem. But that's a big if.

So you're saying Bobrovsky is...reckless? A loose cannon?

 

[cotopaxi]

Funny how people now think that because Weegar is gone the Panthers defence is suddenly bottom tier, when for the second half of last season + playoffs that was actually the case when Weegar was on the ice.

I don't think anyone thinks that Panthers will win the President's trophy twice in a row so obviously they're bound to take a step back. Does Weegar being gone affect this? Based on last year's performance, absolutely NOT.

 

[PaulD]

Maurice will turn them into the Jets. While pontificating like a Hockey Guru.

Funny how people now think that because Weegar is gone the Panthers defence is suddenly bottom tier, when for the second half of last season + playoffs that was actually the case when Weegar was on the ice.

I don't think anyone thinks that Panthers will win the President's trophy twice in a row so obviously they're bound to take a step back. Does Weegar being gone affect this? Based on last year's performance, absolutely NOT.

Weeger was a mess in last years play offs.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Maurice is a terrible coach for this team. Expect mediocrity for this club this year.

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

Maurice is a terrible coach for this team. Expect mediocrity for this club this year.

Cool, thanks Sasso

 

[Cup or Bust]

They still have some excellent players, I expect them to still be a really good team. I am not sure losing Weeger is going plummet the team down the standings.

 

[Mickey Marner]

To be fair, Paul Maurice could turn the 2000 Devils into a mediocre defensive club. This will be his 25th season behind the bench and his team has only has only been top-10 in goals against 5 times.

 

[StorminSnvechnAho]

Maurice is a terrible coach for this team. Expect mediocrity for this club this year.

The Hurricanes fired Maurice....twice.... but his firing did preceed a SCT the first time.

 

[super6646]

They definitely don’t look that great to be fair. At the end of the day “on paper” doesn’t mean too much, but I’m not impressed with their roster anymore. Their wings are nothing special and their defence looks bad.

 

[FinlandPanther]

They definitely don’t look that great to be fair. At the end of the day “on paper” doesn’t mean too much, but I’m not impressed with their roster anymore. Their wings are nothing special and their defence looks bad.

You Calgary fans are getting obsessive lol

 

[super6646]

You Calgary fans are getting obsessive lol

I’ve posted in this thread once and have barely been in the trade thread. Painting every fan with broad strokes because a few fans are overboard is a little unfair.

And you can also tell me if you disagree and why… that’s a good way to spur conversation too.

 

[Cats2TheCup]

Panther players that hit career highs in points or PPG last year:

- Huberdeau, replaced with Tkachuk also had a career high in points
- Barkov
- Sam Reinhart
- Antony Duclair
- Aaron Ekblad
- Carter Verhage
- Sam Bennett
- Mason Marchement, gone
- I'm leaving out Lundell because he was a rookie
- Weagar, gone
- Montour

If you're not keeping track, that's 11 of their top scorers having a career year at the same time.

That is not happening again.

What is the reason 11 players had career years? Surely it is not something that simply happened out of nowhere like many are suggesting. Maybe….there’s someone who knows how to assemble team chemistry at the head of this whole operation? Don’t be naïve. The Panthers are still a top team in the league. The tears about their defense because of Weegar being fired are greatly exaggerated by ignorant fan bases looking to stir the pot. Everyone knows this.

 

[thedustman]

Panther players that hit career highs in points or PPG last year:

- Huberdeau, replaced with Tkachuk also had a career high in points
- Barkov
- Sam Reinhart
- Antony Duclair
- Aaron Ekblad
- Carter Verhage
- Sam Bennett
- Mason Marchement, gone
- I'm leaving out Lundell because he was a rookie
- Weagar, gone
- Montour

If you're not keeping track, that's 11 of their top scorers having a career year at the same time.

That is not happening again.

aren't they all like 26-27?
the panthers will be good

 

[Bleedred]

To be fair, Paul Maurice could turn the 2000 Devils into a mediocre defensive club. This will be his 25th season behind the bench and his team has only has only been top-10 in goals against 5 times.

To be fair, he hasn't had great goalies. And 34 year old Bobrovsky is not a great goalie (hopefully Knight soon wlll be) anymore.

He did have Cam Ward's best years, but Hellebuyck is easily the best goalie he's ever had. He did have quite a few terrible ones in his time, with Pavelec being the most recent. I don't even wanna go over the cast he had in Toronto. Arters Irbe was already washed by the time they went on the cup finals run and the Canes even had to get bailed out and rescued by Kevin Weekes along the way in those playoffs before Irbe got put back in.

That said, I don't see what's so great about this coach.

Outside of Rick Bowness, who's only been a head coach for a very small percentage of the last 20+ years, Paul Maurice had his first head coaching job in the NHL before any other currently employed head coach in the league. And he's consistently had head coaching jobs for at least part of almost every other season since his first in 95-96. The only years he hasn't coached at least part of in the NHL since then were when he coached the AHL Leafs for an entire season in 05-06 and then he coached in the KHL in 12-13, which was a lockout shortened season in the NHL.

I'm not sure why he's so popular anymore. I didn't think he was a bad coach back in the day, but I'm surprised aspiring contenders are still interested in hiring him to be their head coach.

 

[Orfieus]

If Florida gets better defensively I would say they will be a better team overall. Clearly going for all offense doesn't win championships so if they sacrificed some of their offense for defense they made the right decisions in the off season

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

They definitely don’t look that great to be fair. At the end of the day “on paper” doesn’t mean too much, but I’m not impressed with their roster anymore. Their wings are nothing special and their defence looks bad.

You're actually one of the more level headed CGY fans so I'll bite.
I get most Panthers players had career years as well

Tkachuk - don't really need to say much, has the ability to score 35+ and be a PPG or above player for most of that deal.

Verhaeghe - is a pretty solid top 6 guy, ideally he's a really good 2nd line guy but has found chemistry with Barkov so he plays up a line.
Speed for days, deceiving shot, 33rd in ESG and 37th in ESP.

Reinhart - has the ability to score 30 as well and flirt with PPG again with PP time. Has the versatility to play C if need be. Him and Lundell created some good magic offensively together when 5 on 5.

Duclair - injured of course but brings elite speed and 20+ goal scoring touch but does disappear in playoffs.

That's a solid top 6 winger unit there, I agree the bottom 6 is a lot more meh but they will work hard, compete, crash and bang along the boards or in front of the net and generally be pests to play against.

Lomberg, Balcers, Cousins, Hornqvist etc

 

[ProjectPanthers]

This thread is full of people who never watched a single Florida Panthers game except for when they played their own team.

Seriously, a lot of you are completely clueless about team makeup, roster construction and lineups.

 

[DaPhazz]

Not sour at all, just think it's funny some Habs fans are anticipating a top 10ish pick coming their way.

And why wouldn't we?

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

And why wouldn't we?

Because Florda isn't a bottom 10 team?
I could see mid teens but top 10 pick?
It's good to dream big I guess..feel free to bookmark this thread for future crow serving.

 

[ManofSteel55]

They will regress. They can't really get better than last year, and they lost a good defenseman, and downgraded from Huberdeau to Tkachuk. Also, Bob had a great year in net last year, but he's had so many bad years recently, they are probably wondering how he will do.

Their big issue is the blueline. It's Ekblad and depth guys. Gudas on the 2nd pair is a bit...well...dicey.