Ah, the Florida Panthers. One of the busier teams during this off season, and for good reason. They needed to get better in all areas of the ice, and it should be fun to see whether or not all the money they spent will do them any good next year. After finishing with only 66 points (29-45-8) last season, there is plenty of room for improvement. The question is (or in this case, questions) what will happen next season in Sunrise?
1. Will The Offseason Additions Make An Impact?
The Panthers were very, very busy during the offseason, adding players such as Dave Bolland, Jussi Jokinen, Shawn Thornton, Willie Mitchell, Derek MacKenzine, and Al Montoya. Bolland was the largest piece, with a 5 year, $27.5 million deal. While these players are not among the NHL’s elite, they do add a veteran presence to an otherwise very young team. With so many new pieces being brought in, there is no doubt that it will take some time for this team to gel. However, from a learning perspective, these guys should be able to steer the young players in the right direction as they learn the ropes of playing in the big leagues. Florida is by no means a Stanley Cup contender right now, but these pick ups should at least spark some life into the Panthers.
2. Can Roberto Luongo Get Back To Being An Elite Goaltender?
After being traded back to the Panthers last season from the Vancouver Canucks, Luongo got his wish and got to head home. He played 14 games with Florida last season (6-7-1) and had decent numbers with a 2.46 GAA and a .924 SV%. While Luongo will be the unquestioned #1 goalie heading into next season, he is 35 years old and may not have it in him to be the workhorse he once was. Especially after taking a (for the most part) backseat role in Vancouver over the past 2 seasons.
3. How Will Aarok Ekblad Do In His Rookie Season?
This years #1 overall pick, Aaron Ekblad is a highly touted defenseman who didn’t get drafted first overall for nothing. He is a big bodied blueliner (6’3”, 213 pounds) and put up impressive numbers with the Barrie Colts last season (23-30-53). However, making the jump into the NHL is a huge step. This future franchise player will have some serious learning to do, but alongside Stanley Cup winner Willie Mitchell, he should have the tools to succeed. Hopefully he recovers from his recent concussion and is able to play a full year. My guess is he will put up 10 goals, add 20 or so helpers, and end up with around 30-35 points in his rookie campaign.
4. Will The Young Guns Step Up?
The Florida youth movement has more pieces then just young Aaron Ekblad to continue to look forward too. Youngsters Aleksander Barkov, Nick Bjugstad, and Jonathan Huberdeau are all now ready to take the next step and lead this team into the playoffs. But can they do it? Barkov had last season cut short via a knee injury, but he should be ready to go for training camp this year. Bjugstad put up 38 points last season (16-22-38), while Huberdeau had a disappointing season after winning the Calder just a year before with only 28 points in 69 games (9-19-28). If all of these guys can stay healthy, expect a surge in offense from this gifted trio over the course of next season.
5. Will The Panthers Be Better in 2014/15?
I believe so. However, seeing as they finished near the bottom of the league last year, there is only one way to go. With a new-look team coming into next season, I expect the road to be bumpy for the first part of the season, while the team gels and finds out what works and what doesn’t. While I don’t think the Panthers will be competing for the Stanley Cup next year, I do expect them to have a decent to good 2nd half of the season and play spoiler for some of the playoff hopeful teams (think Calgary of last season), which will put the league on notice of a team on the rise in years to come.
You can follow James on Twitter: @hashtagswag604
