If the Florida Panthers executive board popped a bottle of champagne at the BB&T Center tonight, it's within reason.
After all, the first-place club locked up one of the best two-way centers, who's still on the come-up, ensuring his prime years will be played in a Panthers uniform.
Related: Barkov, Panthers agree to 6-year extension reportedly worth $35.4M
Perhaps most importantly for a budget-conscious team, Aleksander Barkov (whom they picked one spot ahead of Jonathan Drouin, by the way) will be had at a discount.
So maybe break out the good bottle, this time.
Come morning, though, Dale Tallon better have his wits about him. The next few days, weeks, and months could be the most important in franchise history.
Finding a scorer in short order
With the trade deadline just five weeks away, the Panthers - long in the market for a goal-scorer - are suddenly short on time.
They've made strides offensively, emerging from the bottom tier in overall output into the top half of the league on the strength of their 12-game win streak. They remain sputtering, however, on the power play.
Firing at 15.4 percent (last in the Eastern Conference), the Cats have a clear, immediate need for an offensive specialist who can come through in key odd-man opportunities in the playoffs.
It'll be just the Panthers' second postseason appearance in 16 seasons. They'd better come prepared.
Summer of signings
Tallon can mitigate the looming contract crunch over the next five weeks, perhaps by packaging controllable assets for a scorer with term (as he suggested in December). Regardless, he'll be piecing together a puzzle all summer long.
With Barkov committed, the Panthers are down to 11 pending free agents, including first-line winger Jaromir Jagr, top-pairing defender Brian Campbell, and almost the entire bottom six.
There has to be casualties, even if 43-year-old Jagr decides to hang up his weighted vest or Willie Mitchell (almost 40) does the same (without the vest).
However, the questions remain: Is Campbell willing to take a pay cut? What's Erik Gudbranson worth? How much of the pie will Aaron Ekblad and Jonathan Huberdeau command when they come off the books in 2017?
It's a knot any great executive would struggle to untie, let alone one employed by a tightfisted club willing to portion off invaluable cap space to balance the dead-money contract of Marc Savard.
