Florida was already a competitive team in the Covid season of 2021 and won the president’s trophy the next season in 2021-22. The panthers didn’t came out of nowhere in 2023, they weren’t your typical Cinderella team. They just had a disappointing and underachieving regular season that year.
I stand corrected. I forgot they won the Presidents Trophy in 2021 but I feel like the win over the Bruins propelled them to the next level
That's giving Florida too much credit. 2023 was always an all-in last ride. Bergeron and Krejci were retiring, cap issues were always going to make them lose Hall, years of trading first rounders away meant no prospects ready to jump in, etc. Whether they lost to Florida, Carolina, Vegas, or won the cup that year, they'd probably be in the same situation today. Actually the one person whose destiny was changed by that loss is Monty, whose family couldn't bear the (rightful) criticism he received and who sandbagged his way out of town so they could move back to STL.
As a fan, I wish they did it last year at the deadline or earlier. Didn’t capitalize on Debrusk while the cupboard was dry was a big offense for me. Thankfully they got it mostly right this March, but after Bergeron and Krecji were gone, they should’ve cut losses and started fresh instead of trying to make the tweener years with few prospects and little draft capital work.
