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A New Era In Florida
by Paul on 08/13/09 at 08:46 AM ET
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from Shawn P. Roarke of NHL.com,
The Florida Panthers have not made the Stanley Cup Playoffs since accumulating a franchise-record 98 points in the 1999-2000 season. If the Panthers are to break that drought before it stretches into a second decade, they will do it with a distinctly new look....
Following last season’s near-miss, Jacques Martin, the team’s general manager and former coach, walked away in early June to become coach of the Montreal Canadiens. The Panthers have yet to name a new GM, and front-office duties are being handled by legendary executive Bill Torrey and assistant GM Randy Sexton.
Jay Bouwmeester, the team’s franchise defenseman, was the next one out the door. Unable to get the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent under contract, the club made the difficult, but necessary, decision to move the All-Star defenseman. The deal, after much speculation, went down at the 2009 Entry Draft, sending Bouwmeester to Calgary for defenseman Jordan Leopold and a third-round pick in the 2009 Draft.
Leopold and Ballard will likely anchor a completely rebuilt defense this season. The club also signed European vet Ville Koistinen and returns Bryan Allen and Bryan McCabe.
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Are these guys asleep when they write?
“Josh Birkholz—The Panther used the pick obtained in last summer’s trade of Olli Jokinen, to take Birkholz, “ Wrong, as he already stated, “Bouwmeester to Calgary for defenseman Jordan Leopold and a third-round pick in the 2009 Draft.” That became Josh Birkholz.
Panthers have a lot of young talent and if they stay healthy they should make the playoffs but they have to score more goals. They lost too many 1-0 games that had they won, they would have been in the playoffs and Montreal would have been out. Look for Frolik to breakout into an elite player after his very good rookie season. Want a sleeper for your fantasy hockey team take Frolik. Last season Martin didn’t go out and get a center and so they moved Horton to center and that hurt his goal production, that an being injured. He is back at wing and if he is healthy he will be back at 30 goals. Bouwmeester will be missed but not as much as they all think, last season Bryan Allen was injured almost all year after surgery. If he is healthy he will be the number one defensive defenseman, not as offensive as Bouwmeester but every bit as good defensively. Ballard will pick up the slack offensively from the blueline. The biggest mistake the Panthers could make is bringing in a new GM who makes trades that kills the chemistry. They could use another goal scorer that could be Olesz if he stays healthy. This could be the year the young talent shines or goes down to another losing season, the talent is there if they could just stay healthy. The Panthers may have the best coach in the NHL and this year he may prove it. Panthers may be the sleeper team on the season.
Posted by Bo from FL. on 08/13/09 at 09:58 AM ET