Florida Panthers: Four Defensemen the Cats Should Look to Acquire

The Florida Panthers top four defensemen all played well over the course of the 2017-18 season; however, the Cats should look to acquire another shutdown defenseman.

Aaron Ekblad had a good bounce back year after his concussion and rough 2016-17 campaign, while Keith Yandle continued to contribute consistently on the offensive end, as well as tighten up defensively too.

Both Michael Matheson and Mark Pysyk continued their steady form, despite facing rough patches during chunks of the year. However, the problem with three of those four is that they are more committed to going for goal than protecting their own, with Pysyk being the only exception.

That’s why, during this offseason, the Panthers need to acquire a shutdown, defensive defenseman for the top four. With plenty of money to spend, as well as assets to trade, the Cats should definitely have this concern at the top of their bucket list.

Here are four players that Dale Tallon should look at during the offseason.

Let’s jump in!

Option #1: Calvin De Haan, New York Islanders (UFA)

Calvin de Haan has been a ‘Mr. Reliable’ kind of player for the New York Islanders since his start with the franchise. Calvin led the Isles in blocked shots for 2 of the last 3 seasons, as well as being one of their most disciplined players, averaging just 21 minutes in the box over the last 3 years. The 12th overall pick in 2009 has had his struggles with injuries throughout his career, missing the entire 2012-13 season due to injury, and only playing one 82 game season, in 2016-17.

de Haan’s most previous season (2017-18) saw him only take part in 33 games, but some pretty good ones too. He tallied 11 points and a +11 rating, which is good when almost 55% of his zone starts were in the Islanders’ defensive zone. He also took just four penalties in his shortened season. de Haan’s biggest issues are his injury woes and his giveaways, which has been dangerously near the top of New York’s top five, which is what a lot of Panthers fans had to deal with when Keith Yandle signed.

Calvin is coming off a $3.3 million cap hit and is only 27-years-old, so the question of the length and amount of money are total wild cards for what he wants and what the Panthers would be willing to give. With the cap going up, if the Panthers could ink de Haan for around a $4.4 million annually over four seasons, the deal would really allow the Cats to give Michael Matheson or Aaron Ekblad a solid defensive partner.

Option #2: Alexei Emelin, Nashville Predators (UFA)

Veteran leadership is something the Panthers lacked at the back this last year. Mark Pysyk was the oldest member of the defense at 26, so a veteran in free agent Alexei Emelin would be a nice addition for Bob Boughner.

Emelin has consistently been a defensive-defenseman, and had a renaissance season this year in Nashville after some down years with the Montreal Canadiens. He was a +9 with Yannick Weber as his partner, and added to that with solid appearances on the penalty kill. Emelin was on pace to lead the Preds in blocks, however, playing time saw Emelin slip below All-Star Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm. The 32-year-old also led in hits by a Predators defenseman by a longshot.

Emelin’s contract given by Marc Bergevin in Montreal was rather hefty, valued at $4.4 million annually, with a modified no trade clause. Although, this contract was given to the Russian while he was 27, so the contract value would’ve decreased by a lot. A 2-year contract would best suit the Panthers, allowing Emelin to play two seasons with Aaron Ekblad or Michael Matheson at 32 and 33 years-old, adding a valuable defensive piece.

Option #3: Marc-Edouard Vlasic, San Jose Sharks (Trade)

Marc-Edouard Vlasic was one of the better Sharks defensemen this season, really helping San Jose create a force to be reckoned with in front of Martin Jones‘ crease. Vlasic was a key player to Peter DeBoer’s squad this year, leading the team in both blocked shots and penalty kill minutes. Needless to say, Vlasic truly lived up to the 8-year contract given to him in the offseason.

Bob Boughner worked with Vlasic for years during his time in San Jose, and the Cats’ coach knows what Vlasic is capable of. The question of whether the Panthers want to risk getting into that contract is another, as the defenseman is 31 years of age and still has 7 years remaining on the contract, with no certainty that he’ll play every season consistently. As far as coach familiarity goes, the Panthers won’t get much better of a shot.

The Sharks are in a win-now situation, but that doesn’t mean Vlasic is untouchable. Nick Bjugstad would probably be one of the first names mentioned, as Joe Thornton could be leaving the Sharks in free agency. Even if Thornton returns, the Sharks are still looking at a 39-year-old centerman in their opening game in October. The Panthers could also throw another prospect and either Ian McCoshen or Mackenzie Weegar into the fray if San Jose fear losing too much on the defensive side of the puck.