Florida Panthers: Denis Malgin's 2017-18 Season Recap

Following a relatively successful rookie season for the Florida Panthers, Denis Malgin experienced career-highs during the 2017-18 campaign, contributing tremendously towards Florida’s overall success.

The undersized 5’9″ centerman tallied 11G, 11A, and 22 points, all while participating in 51 games during the 2017-18 season. Malgin’s point totals ultimately doubled following his rookie year, indicating how Denis has made positive strides.

Moreover, Malgin has received limited minutes, contained a minimal role, and missed 31 games of action. Therefore conveying how if ‘Denis the Menace’ becomes increasingly durable/healthy and consistent, then Malgin could undeniably become an incredibly productive 3rd line centerman for the foreseeable future, while donning a Florida Panthers’ jersey.

During the beginning of the 2017-18 NHL season, comparatively high expectations were unquestionably placed upon Malgin. In essence, Denis received noteworthy expectations mainly because he was considered a standout performer in Florida’s training camp. However, once the regular season commenced, the tale suddenly turned in a negative direction for the versatile centerman.

Denis experienced various notable growing pains regarding adapting as a regular 3rd liner in the National Hockey League. He was healthy scratched and dealt with nagging injury issues rather frequently, causing the Swiss native to miss 31 regular season games, in total. Furthermore, when in the lineup, Malgin struggled to find chemistry with his linemates and produced rather poorly.

Although, once Malgin finally became comfortable and settled in, the results started to show. Denis improved significantly on the defensive end, registering a respectable plus-minus of +4 on the year, as well as logging 48 hits and 24 blocked shots.

In addition, Malgin also increased his percentage in the faceoff circle, posting a FO% of 42.6%, a 6.2% boost from his rookie year. Essentially, Denis clearly gained the trust from Bob Boughner, as FLA’s bench boss rewarded the hard-working Malgin with more playing time (13:51 ATOI).

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Denis also produced multiple clutch goals, recording three game-winning goals on the year, including his infamous game-winner at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers. Malgin also experienced a substantial increase in regards to his shooting percentage, jumping from a mere 9.0% towards a staggering 13.9% in a span of one year. Furthermore, Malgin received minimal power play time as a reward for his continuous growth and development as an NHLer, potting 1G, 5A, and 6 points on the man advantage.

The former fourth-round draft selection evidently experienced tremendous growth throughout the course of the 2017-18 season, which happened to become a memorable year for Denis Malgin. Ultimately, he became more acclimated with the NHL lifestyle and made necessary adjustments as means of improving both defensively and offensively, while assisting the Panthers in any way possible.

Moving forward, a couple of areas that Malgin can improve on would be his finishing around goal and his physical toughness. As he continues to mature over the coming years, young Denis will surely be able to improve on those areas.

As Denis enters year #3 as a member of the Florida Panthers, the 21-year-old promising ‘Swiss Army Knife’ will become tasked with greater responsibilities and higher expectations. Ultimately, the past year was certainly an unforgettable one for Malgin, producing career-high statistics across the board.

Next: Florida Panthers acquire Mike Hoffman from San Jose

With the 2018-19 NHL season approaching soon, Denis Malgin will become confronted with more challenges and obstacles. Seeing how Denis responds with adversity will determine how successful the upcoming season will be for him.

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Florida Panthers: Denis Malgin’s 2017-18 Season Recap

By Sam Golub | Jun 20, 2018

Following a relatively successful rookie season for the Florida Panthers, Denis Malgin experienced career-highs during the 2017-18 campaign, contributing tremendously towards Florida’s overall success.