Every Thursday, I’ll be discussing 5 different topics that are currently on my mind regarding the state of the Florida Panthers.
1. New Top Line
Over the course of the past three games (Columbus, Buffalo, and the Blues), the top line of Huberdeau/Bjugstad/Fleischmann have accumulated 12 points. Out of those 12 points, a whopping 6 (4 goals, 2 assists) of them have come from Nick Bjugstad. This top line has been absolutely annihilating competition, from a possession standpoint and a point production standpoint. Looking at these numbers, Panthers fans must be excited about the possible return of the Flash from seasons past. It’s been awhile since we have seen Flash have a three game point streak and it’s a nice change of pace. If this top line can keep up their great play, I’d imagine that we will soon see Barkov consistently slotted in as the 2nd line center. With this change, I’d expect to see more offensive contribution by Barkov as he would no longer be handling the opponent’s top players.
2. The Return of Dave Bolland
Dave Bolland is back! After being out of the lineup since October 17th, Bolland returned this past Monday against the St Louis Blues and had a pretty impressive game. Although Bolland didn’t score, he put up very solid possession numbers (62% Corsi For at 5-on-5) and played great on the PK. With Bolland/MacKenzie/Trocheck all playing solid hockey (and let’s be honest, Trocheck has been the most impressive of the three), what should the Panthers do? Personally, I would move Dave Bolland over to the wing. Trocheck and MacKenzie have been solid offensively + defensively and I wouldn’t mind seeing him slot in on the third or fourth line. The thing is, this would only really be possible if Florida move a winger. The next few weeks will be interesting and I feel that our roster may look different come this New Year.
3. AHL Success
Drew Shore has 24 points (6 goals, 18 assists) in 23 games, which has him tied for 4th best in the AHL scoring lead. Usually, a point-per-game pace is a pretty good indicator of success at the NHL level. Given his age (23 years old), I could see Shore being either very valuable for the Panthers or a possible trade chip with some strong value. As a center, Shore’s NHL path has a logjam in front of him so I could easily see him being shifted to the wing if he ever makes the jump back up to the Panthers. With Shore playing so well, management is going to have some touch decisions to make next year with a large crop of pending UFAs.
4. World Juniors
With the World Juniors tournament coming up, there are two young cats that you should definitely keep an eye on. Ian McCoshen (Sophomore, Boston College) is a defenseman who is showing lots of promise this season at BC playing a shutdown role. He isn’t putting up points at a high level but he is a very poised defenseman and he has steadily improved each season. He will more than likely make Team USA’s WJC roster and probably play in their Top 4. Another impressive Panthers prospect to watch is Juho Lammikko (Playing for the Kingston Frontenacs in the OHL). This big, two-way left winger already has 19 points (7 goals, 12 assists) in his first 26 games in the OHL after leaving his native Finnish elite league. Expect to watch Lammikko on Finland’s WJC roster later this month.
5. A little bit of Barkov love
Dear Panthers Fans,
Despite the outstanding play from Bjugstad and Ekblad this season, I want to say that Aleksander Barkov is still my favorite Panther. I’m still in love with his defensive instinct and how crafty he can be with his passes. Last season, any time #16 was on the ice, I would instantly focus on him for the rest of his shift. I really can’t wait to see him come back from his injury and start to produce again. It’s easy to forget that he is only 19-years-old and has shown dominant offensive flashes in his young career. The ceiling is still very high for Barkov.
If you’d like to discuss any of these thoughts, hit me up on Twitter!
Patric M. can be reached for contact on Twitter.
