Bye, Tanklin, it was a fun ride.
Depending on how you count it, Vatrano was the fifth longest tenured Panther. Huberdeau, Barkov, Ekblad, and Weegar came before him, and Tippett/Mamin both debuted as Panthers in Fall 2017 (Vatrano was acquired around the 2017-18 deadline), both of those guys went back to their development teams for several years before coming back. Vatrano has been part of the roster for a full four years.
I'll give my NY bros a scouting report:
Pros
- Great straight-line speed
- Gives 110% like 90% of the time
- Physical along the boards
- Absolute rifle of a snap shot and slap shot
- Has a long stick and poke-checks the point-man well
- Is effective on both the LW/RW
- Is an overtime beast (at least in 3v3)
- Teammates adored him
Cons
- Some of the worst tunnel vision I've ever seen
- Can't complete a pass
- Makes his linemates worse
- If he isn't scoring, he's doing absolutely nothing
- Can be careless and is prone to stick penalties
The Skinny
- Frank is the quintessential north-south player. He's fast, he's physical, and he can snipe with the best of them. When he's on a hot streak, you can plug him in as the third wheel in any of the eight wing spots. When he's not hot, he's still a useful fourth liner with significant finishing capabilities and is a good option for the PP2 and 3v3 OT. Unfortunately, his inability to compliment his linemates and his proclivity for penalties means that this guy who can produce like a middle 6er really belongs on the fourth line with the energy players.