Florida Panthers’ All-Decade Team of the 2010s

Honorable Mentions

With roughly 250 players being narrowed down to 23, there were always going to be some notable omissions. Whether they just weren’t good enough or didn’t spend enough time with the Panthers to solidify their place in our list, here is a lineup of our top six omissions for the list.

Goalie: Jose Theodore (2011-2013)

Theodore played just 68 times across two seasons, but his impact was remembered. Theodore was the starting goalie when the Panthers returned to the playoffs in 2012, posting a 2.46 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage at the age of 35.

Despite the stellar 2011-12 season which was likely the second-best season this decade for a Panthers goalie, his next season was rather forgettable. A 4-6-3 record with a torrid .893 save percentage in just 15 games means that Jose would just miss out on the backup goalie spot.

Defense: Mackenzie Weegar (2016-2019)

Weegar’s three seasons for the Panthers so far have been relatively impressive for a former 7th round pick. Weegar has 35 points (9 goals, 26 assists) across 155 games, but has a net plus-minus of +4.

Weegar was great alongside offensive defensemen in 2018, giving plenty of support defensively. After a stellar October, he has come back down to earth in these last two months this season, but it shouldn’t take away from his rapid start with the franchise.

Defense: Jason Garrison (2010-2012)

Garrison’s offensive outburst was a key factor for the Panthers’ playoff appearance in 2012. His 2010-11 season was mediocre, 18 points in 73 games with a -2 rating, but that’s not poor for a year-old.

That 2011-12 season was a needed piece to the puzzle for that playoff team. Garrison provided 16 goals from the blue line, nine of which came on the power play, 17 assists, and a +6 rating, taking just 16 penalties in 77 games. Garrison wound up leaving the Panthers in the next off-season but could’ve easily been in the lineup if he remained a Panther.

Left Wing: Frank Vatrano (2017-2019)

Since coming over from Boston as a “low risk, high reward” player, Frank Vatrano has been fantastic with the Panthers. Vatrano, in 135 games for the club has scored 36 goals and 26 assists. Impressively, 32 of Vatrano’s goals have been at even strength.

Vatrano smashed his career-high in goals last season with 24, four more goals than he had in his entire 108-game stint with the Bruins. Vatrano was averaging a point every two games in his debut season after being traded, with five goals and three assists in 16 games.

Right Wing: Brad Boyes (2013-2015)

Considering he was on the top five in Panthers scoring in both of his two seasons, Brad Boyes cracks the list. While that top five may come with an asterisk considering how poor those Panthers teams were in comparison to this year, it’s still noticeable.

Boyes recorded 74 points (35 goals, 39 assists) in his two seasons with the Panthers. Considering he was 31 and 32 in those two seasons, playing next to a teenage Barkov, Boyes played alright. If he had come to the Panthers a season or two earlier in his career, he might’ve easily gotten to the full team.

Center: Jonathan Marchessault (2016)

For someone to bag 30 goals for the Panthers in the 2010s and not make the full team, something went wrong. Jonathan Marchessault, brought over as a UFA from the Lightning, was dynamite for the Panthers in his lone season with the club with 30 goals and 21 assists.

Marchessault led the 2016-17 Panthers in goals, but was let go in the Vegas Expansion Draft. The decision to let Marchessault leave certainly hurt, but it allowed the Panthers to free cap space for two players that would make the all-decade team. Unfortunately for Marchessault, who has gone on to continue his good run of form with the Golden Knights, he just didn’t have enough time in Florida to make the all-decade team.

With that done, it’s time to get into the top Panthers of the 2010s, starting at the last line of defense, the goaltenders.