Exactly.
While I agree Buf, Det and Ott all improved, they will not make the PO. Not even close.
And I don't really see TBL or BOS being better this year.
Florida will be in the top two in the Atlantic, maybe just not in the president's trophy position anymore. That being said, depending who they are playing in the first round, they may get through.
They may not be cup contenders, but this is definitely a late 1st round pick.
I don't think it's likely Florida sucks this year, but I do think there is a possibility.
They were swept looking really bad in playoffs. Sometimes, it's hard for teams to come back from that.
Also, some MAJOR off-season roster changes. Sometimes change is good, but sometimes it's also very dangerous, can seriously mess with team chemistry, etc. So, that's unpredictable too.
Their goalie - Bob is ridiculously inconsistent past few years. He was better last year, but imo still huge question mark going into next season. I do think Knight has very good potential, but Panthers expected him to solidify as #1 goalie last year and he struggled a lot - so goaltending still has question marks.
So - will Panthers definitely suck? Of course not. But out of all of the "top teams" last season, I think there's a few of them who have higher likelihood than others to self-implode, and I think Florida is one of those.
