Biggest mistaken predictions as a fan

[violaswallet]

Hi all,

We've spent a good time looking at all the bad decisions by management...and opining how we would have done better

Let's turn it around and think where the management has gotten it right and we got it wrong. I have three cases I can think of:

1. Barkov Selection--I was so furious that we did not take one of Jones and Drouin...7 years later, well Barkov is the best player in Florida Panthers history and the heart of our team. Jones would have been nice but clearly Barky-Ekky>Jones-Reinhart
2. Signing Acciari--I was annoyed that we locked up 1.66M on a 4th liner when we needed middle depth; well, Acciari has been our middle depth and our most efficient 20 goal scorer.
3. Knight Selection--A bit too early to tell, but I initially thought this pick made absolutely zero sense. Why spend a mid first rounder on a goalie when signing Bob? Well, it looks like Knight is the real deal and also that we can ease him into play, while giving substantial depth. On a cap management perspective, I am not too worried about having another Reimer debacle, because we know that Bob-Knight will (most likely) be our pairing in the future in 4-5 years.

Where do you stand? As a former Thrashers fan, but fandom begins with the Huby draft

Click to read more...

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

I thought Belfour would come here, quietly go about his business, maybe spend his off time in the library and cause no trouble

 

[Dread Clawz]

I thought Belfour would come here, quietly go about his business, maybe spend his off time in the library and cause no trouble

It's amazing that Belfour only spent one season here yet is a Florida Panthers legend.

 

[Ratsreign]

(two years ago) Malgin is really going to break out this year. whoops

 

[HockeyRulez]

1) I don’t agree Barkov is the best player in franchise history but yes after missing out on MacKinnon he was best player available.

2) If you followed the playoffs and/or Bruins the previous year, you already knew how great of a contributor Acciari could be

3) Knight was the best pick we could make at that spot so I never understood the doubters on that pick. He is the future.

In general we do great with trades and not so great with signings and drafting (with a few exceptions). But let’s not confuse not giving credit with that was the right thing to do.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

I thought they would be good this year

 

[KW]

I have two that come to mind immediately.

#2: Nick Bjugstad. I kept being his champion, I thought any season now he’d get over his injuries and get his head straight...never happened. A great trade to send him to Pittsburgh.

#1: This is BY FAR my worst expectation error as a fan. Going into the expansion draft, when BOTH March and Smith went to Vegas, and they said further considerations between the teams were going to be revealed later in the evening, for some reason (because I still believed in Tallon mystique or an Indian burial counter curse or something) I was convinced that James Neal was coming our way after they got him. I thought, that’s actually a good deal! I was ready to put money on that bet. How wrong I was....a fourth rounder was all...

(For other mistakes, I’m NOT on the anti-Bob wagon, but I’m sure someone will bring that up.)

 

[violaswallet]

1) I don’t agree Barkov is the best player in franchise history but yes after missing out on MacKinnon he was best player available.

2) If you followed the playoffs and/or Bruins the previous year, you already knew how great of a contributor Acciari could be

3) Knight was the best pick we could make at that spot so I never understood the doubters on that pick. He is the future.

In general we do great with trades and not so great with signings and drafting (with a few exceptions). But let’s not confuse not giving credit with that was the right thing to do.

With respect to (1), who do you have? Huby? Bure? Luongo? I guess I can't argue against Luongo, so let's say drafted player

Acciari I disagree. He looked great in the playoffs, but the contract was still big for what he appeared or...at least Boston agreed!

 

[violaswallet]

I have two that come to mind immediately.

#2: Nick Bjugstad. I kept being his champion, I thought any season now he’d get over his injuries and get his head straight...never happened. A great trade to send him to Pittsburgh.

#1: This is BY FAR my worst expectation error as a fan. Going into the expansion draft, when BOTH March and Smith went to Vegas, and they said further considerations between the teams were going to be revealed later in the evening, for some reason (because I still believed in Tallon mystique or an Indian burial counter curse or something) I was convinced that James Neal was coming our way after they got him. I thought, that’s actually a good deal! I was ready to put money on that bet. How wrong I was....a fourth rounder was all...

(For other mistakes, I’m NOT on the anti-Bob wagon, but I’m sure someone will bring that up.)

Bjuggy is a tough one. I thought that he got over the hump the year he played with Huby and Barky on the top line; little did I know that Huby and Barky took their game to another level.

 

[16Skippy]

There was that summer a few years ago where Andrew Ladd and a few others were UFA. I wanted to throw money at him, or Okposo, or maybe even Lucic (shut up he used to be good) in that order.

Good thing we didn't.


Edit: Also I was mad when we traded Booth but that trade turned out to be pretty good

 

[cowboy82nd]

Hi all,

We've spent a good time looking at all the bad decisions by management...and opining how we would have done better

Let's turn it around and think where the management has gotten it right and we got it wrong. I have three cases I can think of:

1. Barkov Selection--I was so furious that we did not take one of Jones and Drouin...7 years later, well Barkov is the best player in Florida Panthers history and the heart of our team. Jones would have been nice but clearly Barky-Ekky>Jones-Reinhart
2. Signing Acciari--I was annoyed that we locked up 1.66M on a 4th liner when we needed middle depth; well, Acciari has been our middle depth and our most efficient 20 goal scorer.
3. Knight Selection--A bit too early to tell, but I initially thought this pick made absolutely zero sense. Why spend a mid first rounder on a goalie when signing Bob? Well, it looks like Knight is the real deal and also that we can ease him into play, while giving substantial depth. On a cap management perspective, I am not too worried about having another Reimer debacle, because we know that Bob-Knight will (most likely) be our pairing in the future in 4-5 years.

Where do you stand? As a former Thrashers fan, but fandom begins with the Huby draft

How do you become a Thrashers fan and a Panthers fan?

 

[pantherbot]

I remember being initially mad at the jovo for bure deal. I knew bure was amazing, I remember staying up late to watch him in the playoffs and being mesmerized. But....I also loved Jovo for being the kind of player I like, he was young and seemed to have way more upside, and I'll always have fond memories of him tangling with Big E as a rookie in our one happy season. So it was really hard to see him going the other way.

Obviously Bure lit it up and brought huge excitement to this team, even helped get us into the playoffs. He's one of my favorite players that I've ever had the pleasure to watch... And we did get Jovo back eventually.

So things kind of worked out ok. I don't know if it's fair to say it's a big mistaken prediction... But I do wonder what would have happened if we kept Jovo.

 

[ProjectPanthers]

The amount of guys I had high hopes for in this franchise.

Kristian Huselius, I thought he was the second coming. Read about him playing in Sweden all year before his rookie year. He scored in his first NHL game, then Keenan absolutely ruined him.

Denis Shvidki? A 12th overall pick that was supposed to light it up in the NHL. Never did anything of note.

Thought Drew Shore was going to be a great shut down guy. Expected Matthias to be a solid 3rd line center with Howden on his wing, two penalty killing dynamos....

Olesz was also supposed to be a stud. I remember everyone was really high on that kid and the utter disappointment from him being another Panthers draft pick dud. It was tough, but he did fetch us Brian Campbell so....thanks Rusty?

Kept waiting for Kulikov to take the next step. I thought Matheson and McCoshen were going to be a killer pairing for years to come since they were both Boston College boys.

I think I have to start keeping my expectations in check. Thankfully I'm not an pro scout cause YIKES.

 

[violaswallet]

How do you become a Thrashers fan and a Panthers fan?

Well, in terms of performance, the Panthers are a step up. Two whole playoff series in a decade; incredible! And a playoff game win

There was a fan draft on hfboards back in 2011. I was drafted under my old account and stuck since, although I lost the old account password.

 

[violaswallet]

I remember being initially mad at the jovo for bure deal. I knew bure was amazing, I remember staying up late to watch him in the playoffs and being mesmerized. But....I also loved Jovo for being the kind of player I like, he was young and seemed to have way more upside, and I'll always have fond memories of him tangling with Big E as a rookie in our one happy season. So it was really hard to see him going the other way.

Obviously Bure lit it up and brought huge excitement to this team, even helped get us into the playoffs. He's one of my favorite players that I've ever had the pleasure to watch... And we did get Jovo back eventually.

So things kind of worked out ok. I don't know if it's fair to say it's a big mistaken prediction... But I do wonder what would have happened if we kept Jovo.

Completely in line with what I'm looking for: you thought it was a bad deal, but you were wrong! I was hoping for positive surprises, given well the history of Florida

 

[cowboy82nd]

Well, in terms of performance, the Panthers are a step up. Two whole playoff series in a decade; incredible! And a playoff game win

There was a fan draft on hfboards back in 2011. I was drafted under my old account and stuck since, although I lost the old account password.

Well, I happen to be a fan (former fan) of both franchises. I grew up in south Florida and then moved to Georgia later on in life. Still a Panthers fan.

 

[violaswallet]

Well, I happen to be a fan (former fan) of both franchises. I grew up in south Florida and then moved to Georgia later on in life. Still a Panthers fan.

Glad to see a former Thrasher fan around! Florida is a good fit I think: I felt like the 2011-2016 Panthers were on the trajectory I expected Atlanta to go as Chicago lite. I did miss seeing Evander Kane develop though; I was so bullish on him

 

[cowboy82nd]

Glad to see a former Thrasher fan around! Florida is a good fit I think: I felt like the 2011-2016 Panthers were on the trajectory I expected Atlanta to go as Chicago lite. I did miss seeing Evander Kane develop though; I was so bullish on him

I was really high on Wheeler. A hell of a lot better player than Ladd in my opinion.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

I was really high on Wheeler. A hell of a lot better player than Ladd in my opinion.

Glad to see a former Thrasher fan around! Florida is a good fit I think: I felt like the 2011-2016 Panthers were on the trajectory I expected Atlanta to go as Chicago lite. I did miss seeing Evander Kane develop though; I was so bullish on him

It's a shame Atlanta lost their franchise.
On a slightly different note, it is such a scum bag move for people to want teams to be moved. It literally has nothing to do with any fans at all, except the fans losing a team and the fans gaining a team. Everyone else cheering for the team to be moved needs to shut the f**k up.

 

[violaswallet]

I was really high on Wheeler. A hell of a lot better player than Ladd in my opinion.

The Pevs dispenser trade was a beauty. We had something going with Dudley and Ramsey, but unfortunately we lost it