Florida Panthers: Jason Demers vs Erik Gudbranson debate

Q1: Since Demers is a talented offensive defenseman, should he still play a prominent role in the Panthers’ upcoming season?

Kirby: Fans in support of Jason Demers are going to argue he should play a prominent role with the Florida Panthers this upcoming season, but I feel he blew that chance last year. A huge opportunity arose when Aaron Ekblad and Alex Petrovic missed time due to injuries (combined 47 missed games). If the lineup is relatively healthy now, and Keith Yandle/Michael Matheson are locked in as top four left-defensemen…ask yourselves, is Demers a suitable partner for either of those two guys?

Danny: Yes, yes he should. Despite the awful year he had last season, Jason is still a top 4 pairing in the league, and should be given another chance. Transitioning onto a new team is fairly difficult during the first season. Especially when your team is struggling to put points on the board.

With a new coach and system put in place, it should give Demers the opportunity to rebound and rediscover his old form. When on his game, he is an efficient puck moving defensemen. The defensive side of his game will need work, but if you can maximize his offensive production/potential, you got yourself a pretty good D-Men. Expect for Boughner to implement a system that will work for all of our D-Core, which will include Demers.