This team blew their chance last playoffs. Ironically with the turning point being Zibanejad’s brain dead turnover at the offensive blue line in OT of game 4. Could’ve gone up 3-1 in that series. Now Zibanejad is even worse.
I look at the Panthers and I see a group that made it to the final and lost and then came back the next season with a vengeance and a mission. Tons of alphas in that room. Our team comes back sniffing their own farts after not even getting as deep. Our core leadership group is full of passive beta boys. Kreider (who I love) didn’t want to be captain? Zibanejad seems to have negative fire burning inside. Panarin is great but quite aloof. Trouba is one of the worst players on the team. Miller has been regressing ever since his second year. Lindgren sucks. Zibanejad is literally actively hurting the team. He’s dog shit all over the ice. No offense, turnovers galore, terrible D. And nothing to be done about it. He got his bag. Took his foot off the gas and is older. This is what he is now. Five more years of this.
Oh and can someone please explain to me why Igor is worth THREE TO FOUR million more w season than Hellebyuck? Hellebyuck has been better for longer, he has two Vezinas, longer track record. Because Igor was good in two playoff runs where he lost in the ECF without his team paying him an albatross amount? Hellebyuck is better than Igor now and has been previously and very well may be going forward. Igor isn’t good, one of the best in the league. But there’s not 3-4m separation between him and the other elites.