Feb 18, 2013; Sunrise, FL, USA; Florida Panthers goalie Jose Theodore (60) makes a save against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second period at the BB

Among the many questions facing the Florida Panthers this offseason, what to do with their goaltending situation could be the most pressing. Last season veterans Jose Theodore and Scott Clemmensen split most of the ice time until poor play and an injury to Theodore forced the Panthers to go with their young goalie prospect Jacob Markstrom. Jose Theodore is an unrestricted free agent, Markstrom is a restricted free agent and Clemmensen has one more year left on his contract. Here is a quick look at how I see the Panthers’ goalie situation playing out this offseason:

2013 Panther Goalie Stats

While none of Florida’s net minders set the league on fire last season, what jumps out is that Jacob Markstrom outplayed his veteran counterparts, Scott Clemmensen and Jose Theodore. While Markstrom still has a long way to go, he is already the best goaltender on his team and at only 23 years of age, that is no small feat.

So what do the Panthers do? First off, I do not think the Panthers will re-sign unrestricted free agent Jose Theodore. At 36 years old and coming off a torn groin, Theodore may be destined for backup duty but I do not see him filling that role for the Panthers. It always seemed like the Panthers signed Theo to that two year deal, before the 2011-12 season, to serve as a bridge to the Jacob Markstrom era and when Theodore tore his groin in March that era effectively began. It has been reported that Theodore wants to re-sign with Florida but will the Panthers want him back? That depends on how the team feels about Markstrom.

Scott Clemmensen has one year remaining on his contract with the Panthers so I expect him to continue to fill the backup role regardless of who the starter is. Clemmer is a serviceable backup and although his numbers were less than ideal last season, you can usually count on a workmanlike performance whenever he is called upon.

Finally, we have Jacob Markstrom. Markstrom will be a restricted free agent this summer and I am confident that he will be re-signed. Whether or not he will be starting is another question. Florida could conceivably bring back Theodore as the starter and start Markstrom off in the AHL but that situation seems highly unlikely. I think the Panthers will go with Markstrom as their starter this year. He showed enough in his playing time last season and at this point, sending him back to the AHL would only serve to stunt his growth.

We should find out early on in the off-season what the Panthers intend to do. If the Panthers do want Theodore back they will probably sign him right at the start of free agency. If Theodore is not signed right away then it is probably safe to assume that the Panthers are not interested and that they plan on handing the starting job to Jacob Markstrom.

What do you think? Do the Panthers re-sign Jose Theodore? Do you think Jacob Markstrom is ready to be a starter? Do you see Scott Clemmensen being anything other than a backup? Share your thoughts below.

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Jacob Markstrom, the Florida Panther’s highly touted goaltending prospect, was called up by the Panthers Wednesday February 20th. With the abysmal play of the Panthers goalies this season, Markstrom will be expected to help turn the tide. The Panthers have allowed 56 goals, 14th in the Eastern Conference. Jose Theodore has a 3.37 GAA and backup Scott Clemmensen has a GAA of 4.32. Markstrom meanwhile has been playing well with the San Antonio Rampage in the American Hockey League giving up two or less goals in 11 of his last 16 games. (Source)

The Panthers originally had planned to keep Markstrom in the AHL this season to allow time to develop. Poor goaltending at the NHL level has forced the hand of GM Dale Tallon and this means we will get a chance to see what the future holds earlier than expected. Tallon explained the call up by saying its about time the team got a good look at what Markstrom can do, “We have got to start putting him in the system and see if he can play some games and get some experience for him and we also have to stem the tide”. (source)

I for one am ecstatic. I have harped on the Panther’s goalies all season and while they are not directly responsible for many of the Panther losses, they do play a large role in them. Last game, FS Florida put up a stat that the Panthers are 2-0-2 when scoring five or more goals. The only other team to have lost any games when scoring five were the St. Louis Blues. If you are scoring five goals and losing then something is seriously wrong with either your defense or goaltending, hopefully Markstrom can help change that.

Markstrom made a strong impression on Panther fans last year when he stopped 40 of 41 shots faced in Montreal, leading the Panthers to a 2-1 victory. Along with those game that show us glimpses of Markstrom’s immense potential, I would expect we will also see growing pains games where Markstrom struggles, but either way it will be an exciting ride.

Yesterday, it was announced that Panthers’ goaltending prospect Jacob Markstrom was named the AHL Player of the Week last week.(Source: Florida Panthers)

Currently playing for the Panthers’ AHL affiliate, San Antonio Rampage, Markstrom becomes only the seventh player in Rampage history to take home Player of the Week honors. (Source: Florida Panthers)

He accomplished this by going 4-0-0 with wins over the league-leading Abbotsford Heat and Oklahoma City Barons to name a few. (Source: AHL)

Even better, Markstrom allowed only seven goals while facing 137 shots to lead the Rampage during that four game win streak. (Source: AHL)

He’ll be presented this award at an upcoming Rampage home game. (Source: AHL)

For the Panthers, this could pose an interesting decision if there happens to be a shortened season as they have both Scott Clemmensen and Jose Theodore under contract. However, it’s a good problem to have a lot of capable, high-quality goalies! It means the Panthers will be contenders for many years to come!

Anyways, we here at “The Rat Trick” extend our congratulations to Markstrom! Now let’s keep the streak going Rampage!!!