I've said it before and I will say it again, I think the Panthers are f***ed.
I think they probably miss the playoffs this year but will make it once or twice in the next 4 years and do little.
You're paying your backup goalie 10 million dollars, have no 1st round picks until 2026, have a poor defense, and a one dimensional offence.
Everyone was on Florida's dick when they did the low rent tryout thing with a whole bunch of offensively skilled players who had stumbled and it was a clever way to do a quick reboot. But they also ended up with the Anthony Duclairs of the world who need to be insulated by a grinding, puck retrieval team, not thrown into a pile with a bunch of clones. Their game not thriving in the playoffs should have been predictable in retrospect (though I admit I thought they were 50/50 to beat Tampa going into that series, I felt like Carolina would smash them).
I respect Zito making the move to get Tkachuk and get away from two upcoming contracts he didn't like in Huberdeau (whom I have always liked) and Weegar, but to have no plan to replace Weegar when you've given up all of your future first round picks? What was he hoping for?
Barkov is an absolute stud superstar and he carries this team to being a lot better than they have any right to be.
If they can add another two top 4 D then they will be dangerous again, but I'm not sure how they can. Canucks are in a similar predicament (though we're obviously worse) and it's proven incredibly difficult to address.
