Season Preview: 3 questions facing the Florida Panthers
theScore is previewing each team leading up to the 2016-17 season.
After years of building, the Florida Panthers have the look of a team capable of clawing their way to the very top. Here are three question facing the reigning Atlantic Division champions in advance of a new season.
Will the spending spree pay off?
Since the beginning of 2016, the Panthers have been extremely active in terms of spending, locking up their building blocks to long-term contract extensions, while also opening the coffers to attract talent from the outside.
| Player | Age | Position | Contract Length | Cap Hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aleksander Barkov | 21 | F | 6 years | $5.9M |
| Jonathan Huberdeau | 23 | F | 6 years | $5.9M |
| Reilly Smith | 25 | F | 5 years | $5M |
| Vincent Trocheck | 23 | F | 6 years | $4.75M |
| *Jason Demers | 28 | D | 5 years | $4.5M |
| Aaron Ekblad | 20 | D | 9 years | $7.5M |
| *Keith Yandle | 30 | D | 7 years | $6.35M |
| *James Reimer | 28 | G | 5 years | $3.4M |
* UFA signing
All of the above, plus Roberto Luongo's $5,333,333 cap hit through to the end of 2021-22 and Nick Bjugstad's $4.1-million average annual valuation over the next five season, adds up to around $53 million committed to 10 players beginning next season.
Ownership's clear mandate is to build a winner around its undeniably talented young core, and banking on the likes of Aaron Ekblad (the next captain?), Aleksander Barkov, and Jonathan Huberdeau is a given.
But the bevy of long-term contracts could limit general manager Tim Rowe's flexibility moving forward should any number of these players fall short of expected levels of production, especially if the team isn't able to take that next step in the short term.
Transition D
Out of the top eight defensemen in terms of minutes played for the Panthers last season, only four will return: Aaron Ekblad, Alex Petrovic, Steve Kampfer, and Jakub Kindl.
Who's out? Brian Campbell (Chicago), Dmitry Kulikov (Buffalo), Erik Gudbranson (Vancouver), and Willie Mitchell (retired).
Incoming D-men include Keith Yandle (NY Rangers), Jason Demers (Dallas), Mark Pysyk (Buffalo), and Mike Matheson (AHL). All are expected to play significant roles in a top-six defensive unit that will look to move the puck out of their zone more effectively than their predecessors and improve upon the team's 20th ranked Corsi rating in 5-on-5 play.
Ekblad will begin training camp taking part in the World Cup, but the rest of the gang will be there right out of the gate, and the sooner the revamped defensive corps can find cohesion, the better off the Panthers will be.
Jagr's swan song?
One of the best things about watching the Panthers is seeing the great Jaromir Jagr continue to ply his trade at a high level.
Somewhat remarkably, Jagr led the Panthers in total points last season (66), and the 44-year-old is only 19 points behind Mark Messier for second on the NHL's all-time points leader list. Should he both pass that milestone and maybe even win the Stanley Cup with the Panthers, one can't help but wonder if this will be his final season.
Jagr, who re-upped with the club on a one-year, $4-million contract, seems ready to keep playing for as long as possible, but even if he does keep playing, it could be his last year in Florida, based on the salary commitments already listed above.