Post by Florida Panthers on Oct 4, 2016 20:30:14 GMT -5
The last time the Panthers released an article was back on February 16th, 2016. The difference between the Panthers in February and the Panthers here TODAY in October is monumental. Let's take a look at what the Panthers projected lineup looked like at the time.
Taking a look at that team is actually laughable when you compare it to the current Panthers and perhaps that era will be known as the Florida Kittens. A team that was so young and full of prospects who weren't expected to actually compete for the cup for another year or two. However, GM Joe Brodsky hit the switch into overdrive and built what is likely to be the favorite to win the Stanley Cup not only this season but perhaps be the very first dynasty in any of the 3 leagues ran by Kyle and Joe.
Let's see just how drastic the changes were and visit the trades that got the Panthers to where they are today:
Florida Panthers Receive:
Steven Stamkos
Los Angeles Kings Receive:
Evgeny Svechnikov
Denis Gurianov
Riley Barber
Jamie McGinn
Nashville 1st
Trading for Stamkos was the building block that created the mindset to win NOW. It was time to finally push our chips into the table after building for the first 2 years and make our presence known in the league. Sure we lost some great prospects in Svechnikov, Gurianov, a solid prospect in Barber and of course a 1st round pick, however that is the price you pay when you land a franchise player in Stamkos who at the time only had 2 years left on his deal. Luckily Stamkos signed for only 8.5 million which in comparison to many of the new contracts and top players it is almost a steal.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Nikita Scherbak
Jan Hejda
New York Islanders Receive:
Jon Merrill
Trading away Jon Merrill is something I did not want to do being that I am a Devils fan, but acquiring Scherbak was a way for me to solidify one of the biggest trades in Panthers history.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Patrice Bergeron
New York Rangers Receive:
Nikita Scherbak
Jordan Schmaltz
Cam Ward
I will openly state that this may be the most lopsided trade I have ever made. Bergeron is the player that was desperately needed on the Panthers as we needed a true shutdown Center as we have McDavid, Stamkos and Eichel, Bergeron provides the ability to shutdown the opposing teams top lines while also bringing the playmaking and goal scoring ability that only a true 3 time Selke winner can. Not to mention Bergeron signed at only 6.5 million per year is perhaps one of the best contracts in the league.
Fast Forward To June
After making some big trades it was time for the Panthers to settle themselves in and focus on the draft as they were heading into the lottery with the highest % to win the 1st overall pick as they finished in last place. Unfortunately, the Panthers lost the lottery not once, but twice and ended up winning the 3rd overall pick. In a draft that had a 3 headed monster in Matthews, Puljujarvi and Laine it was definitely not the end of the world for Florida. However, the Panthers decided that it was best interest in the organization to shop the pick around the league. Luckily they got the deal they were looking for.
Florida Panthers Receive:
7th Overall Pick
21st Overall Pick
28th Overall Pick
Buffalo 1st Round Pick 2017
Buffalo Sabres Receive:
3rd Overall Pick
Dropping only 4 spots back in the draft and acquiring 2 late 1sts plus a 1st that projects to be a top 10 pick was an absolute no brainer. Not only does this replenish prospects that were traded in multiple deals, but it replaces them with quality 1st round talent WHILE drafting a top 10 player in the draft. The Panthers had their eyes set on a couple players in which they would actually draft, but not at the 7th overall spot..
Florida Panthers Receive
11th Overall Pick
Evgeny Svechnikov
Los Angeles 1st 2017
Los Angeles Kings Receive:
7th Overall Pick
28th Overall Pick
Florida 1st 2017
66th Overall Pick
Only 2 days later the Panthers ended up flipping the 7th overall pick for the 11th overall pick, a 1st next year which will almost be a lock to result in a top 10 pick, and welcoming back one of our favorite prospects Evgeny Svechnikov. We did however trade away our 1st the following year and the 28th overall pick this year, but the value in this trade is very high. Hopefully if all goes according to plan our 1st round pick will result in 30th overall.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Chris Bigras
Derek Forbort
Vancouver Canucks Receive:
Trevor Daley
64th Overall Pick
Acquiring a couple solid defensive prospects was key here as it allowed us to create some trading pieces to use down the road as Bigras and Forbort would be making temporary stops in Florida.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Oliver Kylington
Nikita Tryamkin
Philadelphia Flyers Receive:
Chris BIgras
FLA 3rd 2017
Chris Bigras got flipped in a deal for two prospects that we absolutely love in Kylington and Tryamkin. Luckily for Tryamkin he stuck with the Panthers, while Kylington will find himself later dealt in a big trade for the Panthers.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Brent Burns
Minnesota Wild Receive:
Tomas Hertl
Madison Bowey
Travis Dermott
After acquiring top forwards, it was time for the Panthers to shift their focus to their defense. Lacking a true top defenseman, the Panthers knew they had to pursue Burns and they luckily were able to land Burns. Burns is locked up for 2 more years here in Florida while the Panthers top prospect Ivan Provorov continues to develop. Don't be surprised if Burns is here only for 2 more years, but expect Burns to be a huge reason to the success the Panthers have within those 2 years. Losing Bowey and Hertl definitely was a blow to the Panthers fan base, as both Bowey and Hertl were players drafted by the Panthers in the Inaugural Draft.
Florida Panthers Receive:
14th Overall Pick
St.Louis Blues Receive:
Drake Caggiula
21st Overall Pick
Trading away Drake Caggiula to move up 7 spots can be a bit dicey as Caggiula may end up being a solid player at the NHL level, but this is worth it to land the guy we wanted.. or so we thought.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Teuvo Teravainen
Nicolas Petan
VAN 1st 2017
Vancouver Canucks Receive:
14th Overall Pick
Moving the 14th pick for Teravainen, Petan and a 1st the following year was a deal we could not pass up on. However the only piece that remains from this deal is the 1st round pick. After Vancouver made a few moves, that 1st round pick which was thought to perhaps be another top 10 pick, will most likely result in a mid-late 1st.
Florida Panthers Receive:
8th Overall Pick
Carolina Hurricanes Receive:
11th Overall Pick
Jiri Sekac
Derek Forbort
Moving Forbort and Sekac to move up 3 spots in the draft to ensure we landed our future star winger in Alexander Nylander was well worth it. Ironically, Sekac ended up leaving the real NHL a week or two later, perhaps finding out he got traded in OGSHL tore him up inside. Ironically, this isn't the only trade the Panthers made this off-season that resulted in a player leaving the NHL.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Nikita Zadorov
David Jones
WPG 1st 2017
Winnipeg Jets Receive:
Valeri Nichushkin
FLA 2nd 2017
The thought process behind here was that we wanted to secure a top defensive prospect as we only had Provorov and Severson. Putting Zadorov into the mix is huge to the development of this team and Zadorov has a ton of room to succeed in the NHL on the Avalanche. Then adding in the ability to move from a 2nd rounder up to a 1st rounder was a no brainer. Valeri Nichushkin ended up leaving the Dallas Stars and signed a 2 year deal in the KHL only 2 months after.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Joe Pavelski
NYI 2nd and 3rd
New York Islanders Receive:
Anthony Mantha
Teuvo Teravainen
Evgeny Svechnikov
Gustav Forsling
This was presumably the last blockbuster trade the Panthers would make. Joe Pavelski is one of my favorite players in the NHL and the price to get him was not very cheap. Trading away 3 1st round players and a very solid prospect in Gustav Forsling was a little tough to swallow (that's what she said) but it was well worth it as Pavelski made our forward core absolutely scary this season. Signed for only 6 mill per year, he has an outstanding contract. We did however lose one of our favorite current prospects in Anthony Mantha as I had him in 4 out of the 5 leagues i was in at the time. We also once again traded Svechnikov away in a blockbuster and we thank him as he was a key piece in landing both Pavelski and Stamkos.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Ryan McDonagh
Montreal 3rd
Montreal Canadiens Receive:
Oliver Kylington
Nicolas Petan
Sean Day
After a few pre-season games the Panthers wanted to ensure we had another top defenseman as moving TJ Brodie to the 3rd d pairing would be filthy. The Panthers did just that when they landed Ryan McDonagh. McDonagh provides shut down defense on the first pairing with Ristolainen that then lets Brent Burns be an absolute dominant force on the 2nd pairing. Losing Kylington, Petan and the recently acquired Sean Day was hard as it pretty much wiped clean the Panthers movable prospects that weren't considered franchise building. Luckily, having 4 1sts in this upcoming draft will fix that issue.
This roster compared to the roster back in February is not even comparable. The Panthers have risen to the top in the league and all that is left for them to do is lift the Stanley Cup. However how sweet would it be to not only lift the Stanley Cup this season, but to also win one of the 3 lottery spots in the draft given that we may have a few top 10 picks at this years draft, that would just be the cherry on top.
"We have worked so hard building this team, taking our time to develop prospects, and making moves when the timing was right we feel that anything short of winning the cup would be a failure this season. Sure reaching the playoffs would be a first in our history here in Florida, and reaching the Cup will be a tough road, but we know we not only have the skill to do it, but we have the leadership and commitment to do so."
Florida Panthers Projected 2016-2017 OGSHL Lineup
Nathan Mackinnon - Connor McDavid - Artemi Panarin
Jonathan Huberdeau - Jack Eichel - Mike Cammalleri
Valeri Nichushkin - Tomas Hertl - Lee Stempniak
Nail Yakupov - Jamie McGinn - Reid Boucher
Paul Gaustad - Tuomo Ruutu
Rasmus Ristolainen - T.J Brodie
Damon Severson - Nick Holden
Jon Merrill - Nate Schmidt
Joel Edmundson
Braden Holtby
Cam Ward
Darcy Kuemper
Nathan Mackinnon - Connor McDavid - Artemi Panarin
Jonathan Huberdeau - Jack Eichel - Mike Cammalleri
Valeri Nichushkin - Tomas Hertl - Lee Stempniak
Nail Yakupov - Jamie McGinn - Reid Boucher
Paul Gaustad - Tuomo Ruutu
Rasmus Ristolainen - T.J Brodie
Damon Severson - Nick Holden
Jon Merrill - Nate Schmidt
Joel Edmundson
Braden Holtby
Cam Ward
Darcy Kuemper
Taking a look at that team is actually laughable when you compare it to the current Panthers and perhaps that era will be known as the Florida Kittens. A team that was so young and full of prospects who weren't expected to actually compete for the cup for another year or two. However, GM Joe Brodsky hit the switch into overdrive and built what is likely to be the favorite to win the Stanley Cup not only this season but perhaps be the very first dynasty in any of the 3 leagues ran by Kyle and Joe.
Let's see just how drastic the changes were and visit the trades that got the Panthers to where they are today:
Florida Panthers Receive:
Steven Stamkos
Los Angeles Kings Receive:
Evgeny Svechnikov
Denis Gurianov
Riley Barber
Jamie McGinn
Nashville 1st
Trading for Stamkos was the building block that created the mindset to win NOW. It was time to finally push our chips into the table after building for the first 2 years and make our presence known in the league. Sure we lost some great prospects in Svechnikov, Gurianov, a solid prospect in Barber and of course a 1st round pick, however that is the price you pay when you land a franchise player in Stamkos who at the time only had 2 years left on his deal. Luckily Stamkos signed for only 8.5 million which in comparison to many of the new contracts and top players it is almost a steal.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Nikita Scherbak
Jan Hejda
New York Islanders Receive:
Jon Merrill
Trading away Jon Merrill is something I did not want to do being that I am a Devils fan, but acquiring Scherbak was a way for me to solidify one of the biggest trades in Panthers history.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Patrice Bergeron
New York Rangers Receive:
Nikita Scherbak
Jordan Schmaltz
Cam Ward
I will openly state that this may be the most lopsided trade I have ever made. Bergeron is the player that was desperately needed on the Panthers as we needed a true shutdown Center as we have McDavid, Stamkos and Eichel, Bergeron provides the ability to shutdown the opposing teams top lines while also bringing the playmaking and goal scoring ability that only a true 3 time Selke winner can. Not to mention Bergeron signed at only 6.5 million per year is perhaps one of the best contracts in the league.
Fast Forward To June
After making some big trades it was time for the Panthers to settle themselves in and focus on the draft as they were heading into the lottery with the highest % to win the 1st overall pick as they finished in last place. Unfortunately, the Panthers lost the lottery not once, but twice and ended up winning the 3rd overall pick. In a draft that had a 3 headed monster in Matthews, Puljujarvi and Laine it was definitely not the end of the world for Florida. However, the Panthers decided that it was best interest in the organization to shop the pick around the league. Luckily they got the deal they were looking for.
Florida Panthers Receive:
7th Overall Pick
21st Overall Pick
28th Overall Pick
Buffalo 1st Round Pick 2017
Buffalo Sabres Receive:
3rd Overall Pick
Dropping only 4 spots back in the draft and acquiring 2 late 1sts plus a 1st that projects to be a top 10 pick was an absolute no brainer. Not only does this replenish prospects that were traded in multiple deals, but it replaces them with quality 1st round talent WHILE drafting a top 10 player in the draft. The Panthers had their eyes set on a couple players in which they would actually draft, but not at the 7th overall spot..
Florida Panthers Receive
11th Overall Pick
Evgeny Svechnikov
Los Angeles 1st 2017
Los Angeles Kings Receive:
7th Overall Pick
28th Overall Pick
Florida 1st 2017
66th Overall Pick
Only 2 days later the Panthers ended up flipping the 7th overall pick for the 11th overall pick, a 1st next year which will almost be a lock to result in a top 10 pick, and welcoming back one of our favorite prospects Evgeny Svechnikov. We did however trade away our 1st the following year and the 28th overall pick this year, but the value in this trade is very high. Hopefully if all goes according to plan our 1st round pick will result in 30th overall.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Chris Bigras
Derek Forbort
Vancouver Canucks Receive:
Trevor Daley
64th Overall Pick
Acquiring a couple solid defensive prospects was key here as it allowed us to create some trading pieces to use down the road as Bigras and Forbort would be making temporary stops in Florida.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Oliver Kylington
Nikita Tryamkin
Philadelphia Flyers Receive:
Chris BIgras
FLA 3rd 2017
Chris Bigras got flipped in a deal for two prospects that we absolutely love in Kylington and Tryamkin. Luckily for Tryamkin he stuck with the Panthers, while Kylington will find himself later dealt in a big trade for the Panthers.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Brent Burns
Minnesota Wild Receive:
Tomas Hertl
Madison Bowey
Travis Dermott
After acquiring top forwards, it was time for the Panthers to shift their focus to their defense. Lacking a true top defenseman, the Panthers knew they had to pursue Burns and they luckily were able to land Burns. Burns is locked up for 2 more years here in Florida while the Panthers top prospect Ivan Provorov continues to develop. Don't be surprised if Burns is here only for 2 more years, but expect Burns to be a huge reason to the success the Panthers have within those 2 years. Losing Bowey and Hertl definitely was a blow to the Panthers fan base, as both Bowey and Hertl were players drafted by the Panthers in the Inaugural Draft.
Florida Panthers Receive:
14th Overall Pick
St.Louis Blues Receive:
Drake Caggiula
21st Overall Pick
Trading away Drake Caggiula to move up 7 spots can be a bit dicey as Caggiula may end up being a solid player at the NHL level, but this is worth it to land the guy we wanted.. or so we thought.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Teuvo Teravainen
Nicolas Petan
VAN 1st 2017
Vancouver Canucks Receive:
14th Overall Pick
Moving the 14th pick for Teravainen, Petan and a 1st the following year was a deal we could not pass up on. However the only piece that remains from this deal is the 1st round pick. After Vancouver made a few moves, that 1st round pick which was thought to perhaps be another top 10 pick, will most likely result in a mid-late 1st.
Florida Panthers Receive:
8th Overall Pick
Carolina Hurricanes Receive:
11th Overall Pick
Jiri Sekac
Derek Forbort
Moving Forbort and Sekac to move up 3 spots in the draft to ensure we landed our future star winger in Alexander Nylander was well worth it. Ironically, Sekac ended up leaving the real NHL a week or two later, perhaps finding out he got traded in OGSHL tore him up inside. Ironically, this isn't the only trade the Panthers made this off-season that resulted in a player leaving the NHL.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Nikita Zadorov
David Jones
WPG 1st 2017
Winnipeg Jets Receive:
Valeri Nichushkin
FLA 2nd 2017
The thought process behind here was that we wanted to secure a top defensive prospect as we only had Provorov and Severson. Putting Zadorov into the mix is huge to the development of this team and Zadorov has a ton of room to succeed in the NHL on the Avalanche. Then adding in the ability to move from a 2nd rounder up to a 1st rounder was a no brainer. Valeri Nichushkin ended up leaving the Dallas Stars and signed a 2 year deal in the KHL only 2 months after.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Joe Pavelski
NYI 2nd and 3rd
New York Islanders Receive:
Anthony Mantha
Teuvo Teravainen
Evgeny Svechnikov
Gustav Forsling
This was presumably the last blockbuster trade the Panthers would make. Joe Pavelski is one of my favorite players in the NHL and the price to get him was not very cheap. Trading away 3 1st round players and a very solid prospect in Gustav Forsling was a little tough to swallow (that's what she said) but it was well worth it as Pavelski made our forward core absolutely scary this season. Signed for only 6 mill per year, he has an outstanding contract. We did however lose one of our favorite current prospects in Anthony Mantha as I had him in 4 out of the 5 leagues i was in at the time. We also once again traded Svechnikov away in a blockbuster and we thank him as he was a key piece in landing both Pavelski and Stamkos.
Florida Panthers Receive:
Ryan McDonagh
Montreal 3rd
Montreal Canadiens Receive:
Oliver Kylington
Nicolas Petan
Sean Day
After a few pre-season games the Panthers wanted to ensure we had another top defenseman as moving TJ Brodie to the 3rd d pairing would be filthy. The Panthers did just that when they landed Ryan McDonagh. McDonagh provides shut down defense on the first pairing with Ristolainen that then lets Brent Burns be an absolute dominant force on the 2nd pairing. Losing Kylington, Petan and the recently acquired Sean Day was hard as it pretty much wiped clean the Panthers movable prospects that weren't considered franchise building. Luckily, having 4 1sts in this upcoming draft will fix that issue.
Florida Panthers 2016-2017 Opening Night Roster
Stamkos - Bergeron - Huberdeau
Panarin - Pavelski - Mackinnon
Eichel - McDavid - Stempniak
Ward - Gaustad - Yakupov
Ristolainen - McDonagh
Burns - Campbell
Brodie - Holden
Schmidt
Holtby
Kuemper
Panarin - Pavelski - Mackinnon
Eichel - McDavid - Stempniak
Ward - Gaustad - Yakupov
Ristolainen - McDonagh
Burns - Campbell
Brodie - Holden
Schmidt
Holtby
Kuemper
This roster compared to the roster back in February is not even comparable. The Panthers have risen to the top in the league and all that is left for them to do is lift the Stanley Cup. However how sweet would it be to not only lift the Stanley Cup this season, but to also win one of the 3 lottery spots in the draft given that we may have a few top 10 picks at this years draft, that would just be the cherry on top.
"We have worked so hard building this team, taking our time to develop prospects, and making moves when the timing was right we feel that anything short of winning the cup would be a failure this season. Sure reaching the playoffs would be a first in our history here in Florida, and reaching the Cup will be a tough road, but we know we not only have the skill to do it, but we have the leadership and commitment to do so."
