Probably because we just finished dead last in the entire league, and there's hardly much excitement going into the next season besides Barkov and Huby.
Last season, despite the lock out, we were coming off a return to the playoffs and looked pretty solid on paper with Theodore in goal, Kuba replacing Garrison, and an offense that seemed relatively productive with Huberdeau in the wings. Thus, we had reason to be hopeful.
This season, we are coming off finishing dead last. We look on paper like a bottom 5 team, with major holes on offense and defense as well as an inexperienced goalie. Additionally, there are serious questions about ownerships commitment to spending money.
Additionally, many fans, as a show of faith during the lockout, allowed the team to retain the unused 40% portion of their season ticket money, which could only be used on seat renewals. Since so many fans had to renew to avoid forfeiting their money, ownership apparently had little incentive to ice a competitive team and decided to reduce payroll.
The bottom-line is that many fans are not currently very enthused. However, if the Panthers start winning, then Tallon et al will look like geniuses and the fans will become fired up. If the Panthers struggle out of the gate, it will get ugly.
