GDT: Free Agent Frenzy Today at Noon EST

[Rat Trick]

So, we're just gonna sit and wait and do nothing?

 

[Egblad]

I don't really care about Giroux going. I wasn't overly impressed with him. I would however like to hold onto Marchment.

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

So, we're just gonna sit and wait and do nothing?

Yup. And then all the fanboys line up to tell us that all of this is part of Zito's masterplan.

 

[Egblad]

Zito blew his load last season and last off-season. It is what it is. We draft prospects for a reason. Cheap talent that can contribute to the team. Time for Denisenko to make an impact. Tippett should have made an impact but didn't. Maybe Hepo does. Someone has to.

 

[BB88]

At this stage of the process it’s definitelt hard to see who Florida could replace Weegar with like it makes sense.
They are low on trade assets unless guys from the roster are available.

Yet I still wouldn’t re-sign Weegar to a massive contract either.





Last years deadline was rough for Zito.
Spent 2 more 1st rounders and to see quality depth from the W walk away for nothing.

Lundell will have no one to play with

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

Zito blew his load last season and last off-season. It is what it is. We draft prospects for a reason. Cheap talent that can contribute to the team. Time for Denisenko to make an impact. Tippett should have made an impact but didn't. Maybe Hepo does. Someone has to.

Plenty of opportunities available for them. If March doesn't re-sign then they need to introduce three rookies into the lineup (Deni, Hepo and Hutsko).

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

Last years deadline was rough for Zito.

He's a rookie GM and thus he's bound to make rookie mistakes. I've never seen a GM unload all of his 1st round picks plus extra for a cup run which honestly would've ended in the 1st round if it wasn't for Verhaeghe's heroics. Zito can identify undervalued talent and sign them to decent deals but he has no awareness to what kind of a team he has assembled.

 

[Catscountry40]

This team is going to be dramatically worse. Will be a good fight for and low seed and first round exit. The deadline trade killed our ammo. No more in Zito we trust. #Panicmode

 

[BB88]

He's a rookie GM and thus he's bound to make rookie mistakes. I've never seen a GM unload all of his 1st round picks plus extra for a cup run which honestly would've ended in the 1st round if it wasn't for Verhaeghe's heroics.

He was a monster for the 1st year but this deadline just doesn’t sit right with me.

In no way shape or form was Chiarot worth a 1st, just look elsewhere if that’s the price.
In no way shape or form was Giroux 1st+ Tippett when Giroux had all the controll and wanted only Florida.

Not to mention about his recent coaching hire.

He’ll have to pray he hits on another Verhaeghe on a 1M type deal.

I’ve said it before and will say it again.

When they are this pushed to the cap and no assets I would have run with Barkov- Lundell as 1-2 duo and spent Bennett money& assets elsewhere to create a more balanced lineup

If they kept Giroux they would have had Barkov, Lundell, Reinhart, Giroux as 4 top6 forwards that can play C and have more firepower at the W.

Now they have to hope Denisenko explodes

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

I don't really understand prioritizing Hornqvist over Marchment, Zito's last couple moves have been questionable. I like Maurice but this is worse than the '21 team, and with so few assets there's less of a chance to make a TDL move, don't see this roster getting over the Tampa hump.

 

[batting1k]

It wasn’t going to be easy to keep Marchment, but this is an absolutely massive loss imo. I think Zito needed to find a way.

 

[Gizmo Tkachuk]

I'm interested to see what March signs for because someone is going to overpay bigly.

 

[batting1k]

On the other hand, wingers are relatively easy to find and acquire. We’ve done it over the years, we’ve had so many productive wingers come in from outside the organization, Marchment himself being an example of one.

 

[Catscountry40]

Zito blew his load last season and last off-season. It is what it is. We draft prospects for a reason. Cheap talent that can contribute to the team. Time for Denisenko to make an impact. Tippett should have made an impact but didn't. Maybe Hepo does. Someone has to.

If Horny, Hepo, and Deni all starting multiple games this team is fighting for a playoff spot.

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

When they are this pushed to the cap and no assets I would have run with Barkov- Lundell as 1-2 duo and spent Bennett money& assets elsewhere to create a more balanced lineup

Benny isn't a problem as he is a center who signed to a decent contract. The money has to come off from someplace and the first place to look to shed some salary is the wingers. Duke is useless but apparently he can't be traded even for a 3rd round pick. Hornqvist can't be bought out because leadership, old man strength,etc. Huby can't be traded because of his stats instead of actual production.

Zito has effectively ended the Cats' upward momentum and now he's just working to keep this team under the cap ceiling. Great work...

Your 2022-23 Florida Panthers:
Verhaeghe - Barkov - Denisenko
Heponiemi - Lundell - Reinhart
Huberdeau - Bennett - Hutsko
Lomberg - Luostarinen - Hornqvist

 

[batting1k]

Huby can't be traded because of his stats instead of actual production.

Stats and production seem like basically the same thing to me?

If Horny, Hepo, and Deni all starting multiple games this team is fighting for a playoff spot.

I think Hornqvist is still useful to a degree, but overall I agree.

Our track record with inserting young guys into the lineup has never been good.

 

[ShootIt]

The following offseason we are out of the Horny and Yandle deals "freeing" up 10-11 mil in cap.
But if we are going to extend both Huberdeau and Weegar, there goes that cap space.

For as aggressive Zito was for over a year, this silence is rather odd. But hey, maybe he has something under his sleeve or is still on a major bender

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

On the other hand, wingers are relatively easy to find and acquire. We’ve done it over the years, we’ve had so many productive wingers come in from outside the organization, Marchment himself being an example of one.

On the surface it looks like the Panthers prioritized a 1.5 million dollar player making 5 million because he's a good guy and a great regular season winger who hasn't been seen in the playoffs for years over Marchment. Panthers don't have the cap to trade for anyone now, don't think anyone wanted a dumpster diving day today but it looks like that's where Florida is.

 

[Catscountry40]

Benny isn't a problem as he is a center who signed to a decent contract. The money has to come off from someplace and the first place to look to shed some salary is the wingers. Duke is useless but apparently he can't be traded even for a 3rd round pick. Hornqvist can't be bought out because leadership, old man strength,etc. Huby can't be traded because of his stats instead of actual production.

Zito has effectively ended the Cats' upward momentum and now he's just working to keep this team under the cap ceiling. Great work...

Your 2022-23 Florida Panthers:
Verhaeghe - Barkov - Denisenko
Heponiemi - Lundell - Reinhart
Huberdeau - Bennett - Hutsko
Lomberg - Luostarinen - Hornqvist

6th seed first round exit right there.

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

Stats and production seem like basically the same thing to me?

Well, substitute "production" with "impact" if you want.

 

[Sticksandsun]

Benny isn't a problem as he is a center who signed to a decent contract. The money has to come off from someplace and the first place to look to shed some salary is the wingers. Duke is useless but apparently he can't be traded even for a 3rd round pick. Hornqvist can't be bought out because leadership, old man strength,etc. Huby can't be traded because of his stats instead of actual production.

Zito has effectively ended the Cats' upward momentum and now he's just working to keep this team under the cap ceiling. Great work...

Your 2022-23 Florida Panthers:
Verhaeghe - Barkov - Denisenko
Heponiemi - Lundell - Reinhart
Huberdeau - Bennett - Hutsko
Lomberg - Luostarinen - Hornqvist

This is a 2-3 Atlantic seed losing in 5 games round 1 to Tampa roster

 

[BabyBennettov]

We’re doomed.

Hope Barkov doesn’t have a big injury and we hand Michkov to the Canadiens.

I can feel that too…

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

This is a 2-3 Atlantic seed losing in 5 games round 1 to Tampa roster

That's progress in Zito's book!

 

[StrangeVision]

The following offseason we are out of the Horny and Yandle deals "freeing" up 10-11 mil in cap.
But if we are going to extend both Huberdeau and Weegar, there goes that cap space.

For as aggressive Zito was for over a year, this silence is rather odd. But hey, maybe he has something under his sleeve or is still on a major bender

Poor guy never found his way out of that strip club.

 

[FrolikFan67]

Will we re-sign Marchment? Or maybe giroux? How about neither and instead we keep horny?

Also can’t wait to re-sign Huberdeau for 9-10mil per and never win a Stanley cup because we have 19-20 mil wrapped up in Barkov and Huberdeau. I miss being absolutely delusional and thinking we were a Stanley cup team