Florida Panthers: Remembering Jon Marchessault’s remarkable lone season as a Cat
By Sam Golub
Jonathan Marchessault was arguably the MVP of the offensively challenged Florida Panthers’ 16-17 team; so this article mainly serves as a deserving honorary tribute to Marchy’ s brief, yet incredibly productive tenure in FLA.
The Cats ultimately elected to leave Marchessault unprotected, therefore allowing the Las Vegas Golden Knights to snatch him via the expansion draft. This transaction unfortunately was the beginning of an end for Jonathan’s days in a Panthers’ uniform. Marchy mania swept Florida by storm the second he stepped foot on the ice.
Once opening day began, Marchessault proved he belonged on an NHL roster with his exhilarating style of play. The gifted Canadian winger gradually climbed up the depth chart throughout the course of the regular season; as Marchy eventually discovered himself playing top six minutes quite regularly. The 5’9 sniper shocked an abundance of Cats’ fans and the hockey world, as he finished the year posting an astounding 30G and 21A for 51 points.
Marchy’s greatest single-game performance was against the potent Stanley Cup contender Chicago Blackhawks, where Jon recorded a hat trick en route to a surprising 7-0 victory on home ice. Marchessault was extremely influential during FLA’s memorable road winning streak; where the cruising Cats temporary maintained a playoff position before inevitably being unable to sustain such success.
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Marchessault’s impactful presence will certainly be missed; as the speedster undoubtedly possessed the rare dynamic ability to play both ends of the ice exceptionally well. Marchy’s 30 goals will definitely be incredibly difficult to replace. However, the Cats brought in successful veterans Radim Vrbata and Evgeni Dadonov via free agency, along with superstar potential in 10th overall selection Owen Tippett via draft.
Although those aforementioned players will unlikely replicate numbers such as Marchy’s from the previous season; they’ll surely improve the top six forward group by providing playmaking ability and flexibility. The door closing on Marchessault subsequently resulted in the door opening for the likes of others attempting to become positive contributors entering the 2017-18 season.
Personally, I truly admire watching Marchy’s electrifying style of play; as he would consistently provide necessary effort and desire to win on countless occasions. I wish him nothing but sustainable, long-lasting success in Las Vegas.