If no '19 playoffs, whose heads roll?

[Asheville]

Obviously the Hoffman acquisition has changed everyone's expectations, but if the Panthers miss the playoffs yet again, what changes will we see?

I guess Tallon being fired is a certainty. Any other guesses?

Click to read more...

 

[Jakeybonz]

I guess Tallon being fired is a certainty. Any other guesses?

in that case I hope we miss the playoffs. also the hoffman aquisition may not change much since were likely to lose a top 5 fwd to injury which didn't happen last year. that would put us right back in the roster situation pre-hoff and maybe worse if its a long term injury. we may also lose a few defensemen which didn't happen last year as we were basically icing a "complete" roster against banged up teams throughout the 2nd half of the season. or if u prefer the prevailing stream of insanity: "the players bought into the system and the team suddenly got so much better". I think we'll be a wildcard team but I don't expect it. bring me panarin please.

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

Probably that'll be the end of Tallon (finally) but it's still the players fault because there' enough talent and depth on the roster so that there's pretty much no excuses this time around. The players can't go into the season so that they'll cruise the first three months or so and only after then they'll start play like there's a difference between winning and losing. Upon failure, Viola might ask Tallon to name three big earners that failed the most according to Dale and those guys will be gone along with Dale himself.

 

[pb1300]

in that case I hope we miss the playoffs. also the hoffman aquisition may not change much since were likely to lose a top 5 fwd to injury which didn't happen last year. that would put us right back in the roster situation pre-hoff and maybe worse if its a long term injury. we may also lose a few defensemen which didn't happen last year as we were basically icing a "complete" roster against banged up teams throughout the 2nd half of the season. or if u prefer the prevailing stream of insanity: "the players bought into the system and the team suddenly got so much better". I think we'll be a wildcard team but I don't expect it. bring me panarin please.

Now the reasoning we were better is the 2nd half is because we faced "banged up teams." I guess they were banged up for us, but healthy for everyone else in the league. So we are obviously more of the 47 game team last year, not the last 35 game team, since you pointed it out all so well in your detailed response? Man, if you dont think that it takes time for players to learn a new coaches schemes, what the coach is trying to install, his coaching tendencies, his likes/dislikes, or how it takes time to trust a new coaching staff, then you've obviously never been around sports much. You saw the same thing happen in Galant's first year here. We started off slow, and had to pick it up in the 2nd half just to have a shot at the playoffs. Heck, we needed a 12 game winning streak, involving unsustainable stats, just to get back into that race.

Probably that'll be the end of Tallon (finally) but it's still the players fault because there' enough talent and depth on the roster so that there's pretty much no excuses this time around. The players can't go into the season so that they'll cruise the first three months or so and only after then they'll start play like there's a difference between winning and losing. Upon failure, Viola might ask Tallon to name three big earners that failed the most according to Dale and those guys will be gone along with Dale himself.

Im not expecting a slow start from them this season. As long as they are HEALTHY coming out of camp, I expect them to be much sharper. You've heard it from a few of the players already, about how they need to get off to a better start of the season. They were even preaching about it after the Boston game to end last season.

 

[Bure1096]

Dale and Boog will be gone, along with Springfield's MGMT.

 

[letsgrowcactus]

Obviously the Hoffman acquisition has changed everyone's expectations, but if the Panthers miss the playoffs yet again, what changes will we see?

I guess Tallon being fired is a certainty. Any other guesses?

At this point we should make the playoffs unless there's heavy injuries, and even in that case we should finally have the depth to fill in.

If I were to speculate, here you have some pesimistic scenarios:
- Luongo gets hurt and misses most of the season, Reimer can't handle the workload and get hurts too, Hutchinson is meh
-Barkov gets injured and misses 20+games. Also Bjugstad gets injured and returns to his 2016/17 "form"; Borgstrom is less ready than we thought, other kids don't progress either.
- Ekblad gets concussed again. Kiselevich turns out to be AHL fodder; Matheson doesn't progress, Weegar is just a third pairing guy as well.
-Hoffman's issues become a major distraction and ruin the locker room.

IMO you'd need at least two of these things to happen to miss. The most likely "bad case scenario" have us looking at new goaltending next offseason.

We should be able to easily snag a wildcard if we can't finish 3rd in our own division. If this team stays healthy and still doesn't make it then a big part of that is on the players, but hard to say who that would be right now.

 

[StrangeVision]

If they are reasonably healthy and still miss?

Dale and Boog will be gone, along with Springfield's MGMT.

This right here. Then we just have to hope Viola et al. can pick the right replacements.

 

[Brokin]

I guess Tallon being fired is a certainty. Any other guesses?

I really was hoping they'd get rid of him but my guess is Viola has him on a tight leash since the beginning of last season. Tallon as a figurehead whose body is wrapped up by a straight jacket is perfect. Give him a speakerphone with a chaperone to monitor his activity and even I can live with that.

As I said previously, my nightmare is if they get off to a hot start then Viola offers him an extension. Tallon could elect to turn Viola down and head back to the Hawks if they miss the playoffs again. I don't see him as GM but Wirtz may just create a position for him as Head of Hockey Operations.

 

[Ratsreign]

It would depend on how it all goes down. So many variables to this possible scenario.
Interesting how some fans who will, when it suits their argument, run on about how much of a terrible influence 25 yrs of suck has on the present day Panthers, seem to secretly root for more suckage time just to prove their anti DT agenda. I sense this not only here on this site.
25 years of suck has no influence beyond we fans who've suffered through it. It leads to impatience as well as the fatalistic outlook illustrated by this thread.
What if things go the other way, with FL again showing marked improvement this year? Do we still spend the offseason trying to nitpick certain things done this year while we again dredge up past mistakes? Or do we start to wonder if maybe, just possibly, the clueless old bastard is actually on track to where we want this team to be?

 

[pb1300]

It would depend on how it all goes down. So many variables to this possible scenario.
Interesting how some fans who will, when it suits their argument, run on about how much of a terrible influence 25 yrs of suck has on the present day Panthers, seem to secretly root for more suckage time just to prove their anti DT agenda. I sense this not only here on this site.
25 years of suck has no influence beyond we fans who've suffered through it. It leads to impatience as well as the fatalistic outlook illustrated by this thread.
What if things go the other way, with FL again showing marked improvement this year? Do we still spend the offseason trying to nitpick certain things done this year while we again dredge up past mistakes? Or do we start to wonder if maybe, just possibly, the clueless old bastard is actually on track to where we want this team to be?

Never going to happen. Certain people want to see us fail just so they can say "I told you so!"

 

[I am not exposed]

in that case I hope we miss the playoffs. also the hoffman aquisition may not change much since were likely to lose a top 5 fwd to injury which didn't happen last year. that would put us right back in the roster situation pre-hoff and maybe worse if its a long term injury. we may also lose a few defensemen which didn't happen last year as we were basically icing a "complete" roster against banged up teams throughout the 2nd half of the season. or if u prefer the prevailing stream of insanity: "the players bought into the system and the team suddenly got so much better". I think we'll be a wildcard team but I don't expect it. bring me panarin please.

Panarin could get injured as well. You do realise that right!

 

[Gentle Man]

It depends on the why they dont make it.

Injuries shouldnt be on Tallon, specifically if it's to a Barkov per se. If he misses a small chunk, then that's fine. But if he misses a significant part and the team flounders? I'd say 50/50. The team should still be able to stay afloat in my opinion.

If it's to a Luongo, then it depends on whether Hutchinson steps up and plays well and or Reimer. If Reimer doesnt cut it, that shouldnt be on Tallon either. That contract is unmoveable. If it's Hutchinson that sucks...I'd say yes, that is on Tallon. His job was to address and the goaltending and his answer was Hutchinson...so whether that works out or not, that is on Tallon.

If the team just flat out doesnt cut it, then yeah...that is on Tallon.

If it's a Hoffman thing and that causes disaster, I'd say that is on Tallon too to a degree.

 

[Chaos2k7]

Doesnt matter, we ARE making the playoffs.

 

[Jakeybonz]

Now the reasoning we were better is the 2nd half is because we faced "banged up teams." I guess they were banged up for us, but healthy for everyone else in the league. So we are obviously more of the 47 game team last year, not the last 35 game team, since you pointed it out all so well in your detailed response? Man, if you dont think that it takes time for players to learn a new coaches schemes, what the coach is trying to install, his coaching tendencies, his likes/dislikes, or how it takes time to trust a new coaching staff, then you've obviously never been around sports much. You saw the same thing happen in Galant's first year here. We started off slow, and had to pick it up in the 2nd half just to have a shot at the playoffs. Heck, we needed a 12 game winning streak, involving unsustainable stats, just to get back into that race.

so u do understand unsustainability. good to know. and no the banged up teams weren't playing healthy against everyone else.what a preposterous response. they were playing banged up vs. other banged up teams. injuries are extremely commonplace in the nhl if u haven't noticed. u do realise we were the only team to ice just 7 D men and that was only because we insisted on playing mccoshen for no reason. we couldve iced just 6 D men all year. what's the last team that accomplished that? has any team ever? and our important fwds missed basically no time at all except for 8 games for daddy and 3 for bark. and they still couldn't make the playoffs. if u think that kind of health luck is going to be replicated then its u who clearly hasn't been around hockey much. and to the coaching thing, don't make me laugh. coaches in hockey have the least effect on winning % than in any other sport. its basically all roster. that's why coaching jobs in the nhl are like a revolving door. fired here, hired there. its all just about changing up momentum or firing up a team or in most cases looking for a scapegoat where there is more than likely just a cheap owner. we know a little about that.

 

[Asheville]

Btw, these changes that you suspect may happen aren't limited to management/coaching. List roster players you believe may be jettisoned as well.

 

[DrMom9900]

Never going to happen. Certain people want to see us fail just so they can say "I told you so!"

Don't confuse people setting up walls with wanting failure. Some of us are cynical just so it will hurt less when what history has shown us to happen, happens.
If you're posting on this Panthers board, you are a diehard fan. We all want the same thing you want, the cup. No need to put words in people's mouths.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

Well then since a lot of people think Tallon's job is on the line with the playoffs being the goal, if the team gets off to a slow start without injuries, should he fire the coach?

 

[letsgrowcactus]

Well then since a lot of people think Tallon's job is on the line with the playoffs being the goal, if the team gets off to a slow start without injuries, should he fire the coach?

Define slow start. If they're mediocre, you don't. If they're abysmal, you probably have to - but then the guys would have to learn a new system again, which means more struggle and most likely missing the playoffs again no matter what you do.

If they're just meh, you're better off betting on the team figuring it out with Boughner. Besides, we have gome through a lot of coaches over the past few years and even Gallant wasn't able to push this team to a good start. Boughner is Tallon's hire - the way I see it they go down together or not at all, at least for the upcoming season.

 

[Bure1096]

If goaltending causes us to miss, then Tallon will probably take the blame and get the axe.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

I don't really see any reason for a slow start, pretty much no turnover so everyone knows the system, and they added Hoffman to make the team better. Again, not a 120 point team but shouldn't be a 70 point team through December this year.

 

[KW]

I don't really see any reason for a slow start, pretty much no turnover so everyone knows the system, and they added Hoffman to make the team better. Again, not a 120 point team but shouldn't be a 70 point team through December this year.

I’d say 70 pts by the end of December would be fairly acceptable.... (okay okay I know what you meant, just being a smartass)

 

[letsgrowcactus]

I’d say 70 pts by the end of December would be fairly acceptable.... (okay okay I know what you meant, just being a smartass)

Do we even play 35 games by then or would those points be for the Panthers general awesomeness?

 

[KW]

Do we even play 35 games by then or would those points be for the Panthers general awesomeness?

General awesomeness points!

 

[letsgrowcactus]

General awesomeness points!

Actually if I'm counting right, we play 38 games in 2018 and the rest in 2019, so those 70 points are technically possible...

 

[Ratsreign]

Actually if I'm counting right, we play 38 games in 2018 and the rest in 2019, so those 70 points are technically possible...

35-3, piece of cake!