2010-11 NHL Predictions/Previews: Florida Panthers
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After finishing last in the Southeast Division, the Florida Panthers decide it was time for change—and lots of it. The club imported new general manager Dale Tallon, who quickly went to work at overhauling the roster. Despite his efforts, it looks like another long year for the few Panther fans left.
Florida Panthers
Stanley Cup odds: 60/1
Tallon is clearly taking a long-term approach with Florida, as he jettisoned several veterans in the offseason in exchange for a nice handful of first-round draft picks. Florida had three first-rounders in the most recent draft and took 13 players overall.
Florida had a solid defense corps last season, but it will be largely depleted with the losses of Keith Ballard, Jordan Leopold and Dennis Seidenberg. Moving Ballard was especially painful, as he’s just 27 years old and is already a rock solid, all-around defenseman.
With so many changes on the blue line, the Panthers will be more dependant than ever on goaltending. Tomas Vokoun stole a ton of games for Florida; he recorded seven shutouts and posted a .925 save percentage, which ranked third in the NHL. It’s nothing new for Vokoun, who had a .926 save percentage in 2008-09 and is sadly wasting away on a bad hockey team in a city where nobody cares. Vokoun is backed up by Scott Clemmenson, a capable fill-in starter who was brilliant down the stretch (2.29 GAA, .934 save percentage over his final 11 games).
Even if Vokoun wins the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goalie, it may not be enough to bail out a putrid offense. The Panthers ranked third-last in goals a year ago, and there’s little reason to believe any sort of improvement is on the way. Nathan Horton was the team’s second-leading scorer last season after notching 57 points in 65 games. He was part of the mass exodus launch by Tallon and will be suiting up for the Boston Bruins in 2009-10.
Unless some of Tallon’s draft picks come through immediately, chances are Florida is going to struggle again. Even if a few of the youngsters make an impact, it probably won’t be enough.
That said, Florida fans should probably keep their ears to the floor when it comes to trade rumors. Tallon has inherited several large, expiring contracts, meaning he’ll probably be a busy man come deadline day. There are definitely some veterans here that playoff contenders would love to have—how good would Vokoun look in a Flyers uniform?—and the new GM has already proven he’s far from gun shy.
Florida has already tied a record for missing the playoffs in nine straight seasons. Fans should be fearing the worst, as it’s quite likely the Panthers will grab sole possession of the dubious record and miss out on the postseason for a 10th straight year.
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