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Florida Panthers: Top Five Moves That Were Steals Made by Dale Tallon

By Cal Friedman

SUNRISE, FL - APRIL 8: Florida Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Dale Tallon announced today that the team has named Joel Quenneville as head coach of the Panthers at the BB&T Center on April 8 2019 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FL - APRIL 8: Florida Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Dale Tallon announced today that the team has named Joel Quenneville as head coach of the Panthers at the BB&T Center on April 8 2019 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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#2: Trading for Brian Campbell

NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 21: Brian Campbell #51 of the Florida Panthers looks on against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on March 21, 2016 in New York City. The New York Rangers won 4-2. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 21: Brian Campbell #51 of the Florida Panthers looks on against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on March 21, 2016 in New York City. The New York Rangers won 4-2. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Tallon’s first move in the offseason leading up to Florida’s return to the playoffs in 2012 was trading for Chicago defenseman Brian Campbell. This would be the first of two Blackhawks he would recruit to the roster, but Campbell’s impact was much more felt than Tomas Kopecky’s.

The trade was one for one, with Florida trading forward Rostislav Olesz to Chicago. Olesz had shown glimmers of promise for Florida, with 112 points across 349 games for the Cats. Florida’s issue was on defense, with the Cats boasting the 24th worst defense in the NHL in the year prior.

Soupy’s impact in Florida was immense, with 53 points (4G & 49A) across a full 82-game season in 2011-12, considered one of the best defensemen in the East as the Cats won the Southeast Division. He also went on to put up 5 points (1G & 4A) in the Panthers’ first round defeat to the Devils.

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After his debut season, Campbell regressed offensively, but improved his play on defense. Fully entering his veteran stage, Campbell began to take on more and more responsibility defensively.

He also became a very good teacher for a bright young student in Aaron Ekblad, who he played alongside with for roughly two seasons.

Campbell never missed a game for the Panthers across his five-year stint, and was the best defenseman at the club for a long stretch of that time.

His reliable defense helped Aaron Ekblad develop more offensively, leading to an All-Star Game selection for the former first overall pick in 2015-16.

That season, Campbell was a huge part in the Panthers’ return to the post season for a second time during his stay. Despite a similar first round exit, Campbell was still a reliable first-line defenseman with Ekblad into his late thirties.

And whatever happened to Rostislav Olesz you may ask? He played just 16 games in the NHL after the trade. A pure genius move made by Tallon.

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