The Florida Panthers head into next season significantly improved on paper in terms of coaching and players. With the team looking stronger, expectations have begun to mount, and they should!
Two seasons ago, the Florida Panthers found themselves severely behind the eight ball again in terms of making the playoffs. They had a horrible start to the 2017-18 season, beginning the season 4-8-2.
What looked like another dismal season flared into one of the best runs the franchise has seen. After the 2018 All-Star, the Panthers went 25-8-2 and totaled the most points by any team following the break.
Although the Panthers accumulated 96 points, a total usually worthy of a playoff spot, the team would miss the postseason again, falling short by one point.
The following season had increased expectations as the Panthers started the 2018-19 season with a roster nearly intact and the addition of perennial twenty goal scorer Mike Hoffman to the lineup. While the Panthers looked primed for a playoff appearance, another dismal season ensued, and the excitement of what looked like a promising core started to fade.
Again, with nearly all the core pieces of the team intact, Panthers ownership vowed to spend on areas needing of improvement and invest in the team as a whole. With the green light, General Manager Dale Tallon had arguably one of the most impactful off-seasons of the Franchise’s history.
Within a week of the final game, Dale signed future Hall of Fame Coach and past colleague from the Chicago Blackhawks, Joel Quenneville. The move looks to bring stability and acumen to the position that’s been missing for more than a decade.
When free agency opened, Dale signed two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky to a seven-year contract. This was arguably the position most in need of addressing, especially with the retirement of Roberto Luongo. He then went on to sign veteran stalwart defenseman Anton Stralman, solidifying the team’s top four and adding mentorship for the team’s defensive cornerstones in Ekblad and Matheson.
The Panthers aren’t the only team that has improved this offseason, however. The top two teams in the draft, the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers, have improved immensely and looked poised for quick turnarounds. Outside of the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings, most Eastern Conference teams looked improved and ready to present a challenge for their divisions.
The key to the Panther’s success this season will be quick chemistry, a good start, and minimal injuries.
Hiring a new coach, like any change, has its challenges. Finding success will be correlated with the understanding and implementation of the new systems and personnel. Luckily, most of the Panthers have experience in turnover at the position, but adapting to the new systems quickly will pose a challenge for the team going into the season.
For the roster, the biggest impact will be Bobrovsky’s communication with the defense. While chemistry and communication are vitally important between the positions, the challenge isn’t as daunting as new centers, wingers or defensive units finding chemistry together.
A good start is integral for success for any team throughout a season. The Panthers have been hampered with bad starts and, as mentioned above, a new coach and systems could present more obstacles than assistance. However, the team doesn’t need to start 10-0-0. Putting them in a position to succeed for the second half of the season is what should be expected this season.
The expectations should be somewhere between 7th-9th place in the conference before January on the low end and a top three divisional spot on the high end. Either way, the importance is for the team to find their stride going into the second half of the season and playoffs.
A second-half push provides a great deal of momentum for a team heading into the playoffs. Just ask St. Louis, who were dead last on January 2nd of last season, before rallying to win the Stanley Cup. Or Columbus for that matter, seeing as they swept the number 1 seeded Tampa Lightning during last year’s playoffs after they caught fire during March and April of last season to make a final push for the playoffs.
While the team can implement activities to improve communication and chemistry, there is not much that can be done in terms of preventing injuries. Short of managing key personnel ice time and practice days, injuries are unpredictable and hard to mitigate.
As seen with the freak leg injury Jonathan Huberdeau sustained during the Panther’s preseason game at West Point in 2016, it’s hard to prevent injuries. However, the team does look more balanced and the added depth provided from their free agents should alleviate the pressure of their top players carrying big minutes.
With that said, the Panthers have all the makings of a good team on paper. With some focus and development over the season, there is no reason this team can’t be the first Panther’s team to win a playoff round since 1996 or more!