Florida Panthers Potential Offseason Targets

With the NHL Entry Draft and Free Agency approaching fast, the Florida Panthers have to think of some possible players to target, whether in trade or free agency, to better the team come October.

Obviously the Panthers don’t need to add many players, with the core already in place, but it wouldn’t hurt to add a few good assets. There are many, many different targets, but not all of them fit the Panthers’ needs.

As of right now, the Panthers need a bottom 6 winger, and a right-winger for the second line, as Jussi Jokinen is likely to go unprotected in the expansion draft.

So who meets those qualifications at a good price? Well, here are some options.

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The Panthers first option is Alex Galychenyuk. Now you may say that Galychenyuk is a very talented goal scorer that is going to be a part Montreal’s core for the coming years, right? Well, not exactly.

Surprisingly, there have been rumors that Montreal might be listening to offers for Galychenyuk and will trade him if they get the right offer.

Even though he isn’t listed as a winger, Galychenyuk did play wing for multiple stretches during the last few seasons, and isn’t any better at one position than he is at the other.

So this means that he may just be able to slot in on that second line right-wing position. Montreal is in need of NHL ready defensemen, as players such as Sergachev won’t be ready for the next season or two. So a possible deal of someone like Alex Petrovic or Jason Demers and a high draft pick for Galychenyuk could go through.

Another option for the cats is Patrick Eaves. Currently playing for Anaheim, he was dealt by Dallas at the deadline and has had a career year with 32 goals and 51 points.

Now those numbers may seem like Eaves should be playing on the first line, but he has done all this on the third/fourth lines and is happy with that fact.

He is rather cheap as his previous contract was a 1 year, $1,000,000 deal. So if the Panthers want a very underrated, solid third liner for cheap, they should consider going after Eaves.

Fun fact, Eaves was second in scoring among all players who were on new teams this season. The only player ahead of him? None other than *Denis Potvin French accent* Jonathan Marchessault.

A third option for Florida is someone like TJ Oshie. Now, Oshie doesn’t fit the role of a second line right-winger or a bottom 6 winger. But he could be paired with Huberdeau and Barkov on the top line. Seeing that Jagr’s future with the Cats is unknown at this point, looking for a replacement like Oshie himself wouldn’t be a bad purchase for the top line. This would then leave Jonathan Marchessault either on the second or third line, depending on whether Jokinen stays or goes.

2016-17 was one of Oshie’s best years, as he posted 33 goals and 56 points. Even though he’s going to cost more than the other two options above, he’s worth it. It’s likely that the Capitals will not be able to afford him, as they don’t have much cap space at all. At the age of 30 years old, TJ Oshie has shown no signs of decline in his game.

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With the NHL Entry Draft and Free Agency approaching fast, the Florida Panthers have to think of some possible players to target, whether in trade or free agency, to better the team come October.

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