Realistically, how do you fix this team

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

Something I have been thinking a long time. This team had a great off-season, signing a top 10 goalie and one of the best coaches in the league, yet when the season ended, there was a 60% chance they were going to miss the playoffs in a league where half the teams get in. If you read opposing boards, the general consensus is that Florida is better than their record (some of it is due to lack of knowledge-see the amount of people who thought Trocheck was still good) but I generally agree. I have no real idea of how to fix this team without overhauling the roster. They don't play defense and generally seem disinterested. Move Barkov? Huberdeau? I don't know but trading Colton Sceviour won't solve anything... Discuss.

This discussion is really not relevant to Tallon, I don't want this to be an expansion draft discussion again. I thought he had a good off-season and the team is clearly underperforming and I don't see how a GM change alone fixes anything, Tallon or the next guy will have to make roster changes and I don't even know where he'd start.

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[PanthersHockey1]

-Outside of Aaron Ekblad who has emerged as a top 2 defender (finally), I can't name any other player on the backend who consistently plays solid defense or brings a physical presence. I don't know how you can expect a team to go far with only one solid defenseman. The rest are wannabe 3rd liners (Matheson and Yandle) too old (Stralman) or too young/raw to be relied upon consistently (Weegar, Stillman). If you removed the other 5 guys on the backend and replaced them with new faces I would not mind.

-The team lacks physicality and veteran leadership. It is evident that huberdau and barkov are not the rallying guys to motivate the team when the going gets rough. They need to bring in at least two veteran physical players (either offense or defense) this summer that are vocal leaders in the locker room. Brian Boyle was a good attempt but he is too slow/old to really make a difference in the lineup.

-Pray for Bobrovsky. There is no way he can be this bad and this inconsistent for the rest of his tenure as a panther. If he is, it is up there with Dipietro as one of the worst goal tending flops/contracts in history. We have seen his downside, now it is time to see his upside.

-I am convinced that both huberdeau and Barkov were injured starting in January. They not only stop producing regularly they simply disappeared on the ice. Complete non-factors. This time off could be exactly what the Panthers needed in terms of this season. I am concerned that Barkov cannot handle a full 82 games (I'll get slack for this i'm sure).

-They have an opportunity to shred deadweight in the lineup next summer with the Seattle expansion.

 

[Bag Of Beans]

How do you fix this team? You let them play an 82-game schedule...

When the season ended they were three points out of the playoffs. They still had a game in hand versus Detroit, and the head-to-head game against Toronto. Detroit is Detroit this year, very winnable game. The Panthers owned Toronto for the most part this year, and I had every sense they were going to win that game, as the team was playing some of its better hockey before the season paused.

I think this team would have made it into the playoffs. That's not a fix, because I don't think they would have won the Stanley Cup, but that's a start.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

How do you fix this team? You let them play an 82-game schedule...

When the season ended they were three points out of the playoffs. They still had a game in hand versus Detroit, and the head-to-head game against Toronto. Detroit is Detroit this year, very winnable game. The Panthers owned Toronto for the most part this year, and I had every sense they were going to win that game, as the team was playing some of its better hockey before the season paused.

I think this team would have made it into the playoffs. That's not a fix, because I don't think they would have won the Stanley Cup, but that's a start.

Out of the playoffs with 85% of the season played, it's fair to say the season did not meet expectations.

 

[StrangeVision]

Call in the witch doctors. Maybe a couple priests while we're at it, we're gonna need an old one and a young one.

 

[MintyFresh88]

Short-term, goaltending would have fixed/hid a lot of this teams problems. Unfortunately, we only got it from a mid-20s journeyman who then got injured.

I also believe we would have gotten in, but who knows.

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

Relocate

 

[Bag Of Beans]

Out of the playoffs with 85% of the season played, it's fair to say the season did not meet expectations.

I had them going 10-3 to end the regular season. They were playing some of their best hockey.

 

[Sticksandsun]

Call in the witch doctors. Maybe a couple priests while we're at it, we're gonna need an old one and a young one.

I actually think this. how is a team with this much talent so inept? Some type of voodoo curse makes sense

 

[Chaos2k7]

Indian burial grounds

 

[Dread Clawz]

Even if we had made/make the playoffs, this team still needs to be fixed. We are too soft, we lack the leadership necessary to carry us through tough stretches, and we are poor defensively(the forwards are to blame here too btw). I don't think it's terribly hard to do though, nor do I think it will be or can be a quick process. This will take years.

1) We need to focus on the blueline. Free agency, draft, and trades. Blueline, blueline, blueline. I mean this is pretty obvious.

2)We need to inject some heart into the roster. A few guys(not all of them have to be big) that hate to lose more than they love to win, that play with grit game in game out, that will sacrifice to make the big plays, that will provide a spark that can ignite other players. And nobody is saying that these players can't be skilled.

3)Having said that, we do need more size. We need to bring in a couple big, nasty MF's who like to hurt people, no other way around it.

4)More depth down the middle. Haula is ok as a short term option, but long term we need to shore up the center position. Borgstrom, Acciari, Luostarinen, Saarela, Schwindt, Lindmark is decent depth. But we need more high end ability here.

I'm not worried about our goaltending. We've seen the worst of Bob and I think we will soon see very good things. Driedger is solid, with the potential for more. Knight should be good down the line. Bednard has a lot of promise.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

I think you can try to "fix" it. But I'm not convinced that's going to have the desired impact. Not saying don't tweak here and there. But...

You're going to have to wait it out. Either they figure it out, or they ride it out until you need another rebuild. And this time, come up with a plan, and execute it, and stick with it. Of course by that time who knows what state this franchise will be in.

The whole problem I see is an avoidance of hard work. And that's because of the identity of this franchise. Nobody takes it seriously.

You have to instill that from jump with a rebuild. So they have to be forced from early stages to just work hard. And stick with it so it can become ingrained in the team identity. And then you can build on top of that.

The only hope now without a rebuild, is Q instilling the hard work culture. I can see him trying, and they had started to come together a bit on that front before their by-week. But it didn't get a chance to set in. And it was lost after the 10 days off.

 

[violaswallet]

Trade Petrovic

 

[sinDer]

You move them out of Florida.

I'm serious.

 

[CHGoalie27]

Trade Yandle and Matheson. Buy out Stralman. Spend money on AP.

 

[FrolikFan67]

Get rid of matheson and Yandle.

preferably Stralman too but unrealistic we move all three.

Preferably add one top D. Pietrangelo could be a free agent, though depending on what he’d cost and how much we have to retain/buyout on the other 2-3 guys mentioned before, we’d have to see how to make it work cap wise.

We’ll probably start having to rely on the production of the young Corp (ELC’s) like Tippett and Denisenko. Borgstrom will most likely have to step up and be the clear cut 3rd line center (I like Acciari on the wing).

retain one of hoffman/Dadonov.

figure out the 2nd line center.

 

[ShootIt]

All we need to do is acquire more grit and character, like Gudbranson.

 

[PSLguy]

All we need to do is acquire more grit and character, like Gudbranson.

I don't know if you said that tongue-in-cheek or not but I agree, the team needs more grit in order to compete in the playoffs.

 

[ShootIt]

I don't know if you said that tongue-in-cheek or not but I agree, the team needs more grit in order to compete in the playoffs.

Mix of both. Do need some more toughness, with the ability to play hockey in the bottom six and blueline.

I just like saying Gudbranson due to how much joy his name brings here lol.

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

Mix of both. Do need some more toughness, with the ability to play hockey in the bottom six and blueline.

I just like saying Gudbranson due to how much joy his name brings here lol.

 

[Jefe302]

It comes down to D and leadership. If you can move Matheson and Yandle for some stay at home D who have some leadership and get some leaders in the forward group with a true captain. It doesn’t have to be a veteran, listen to some of the stories on Toews when he was young captain.

Giving them time and saying we were close to making the playoffs is not acceptable. Just making the playoffs is not the goal. The goal is to be competitive in the playoffs to work towards a cup. This team does not have the grit.

Blaming it on injuries shows how unprepared this team is for being in the playoffs.

Can Tampa still make the playoffs without Stamkos? Yeah they should.

How about Pittsburgh without Crosby? Malkins numbers are crazy when Crosby is out of the line up.

What about Boston and Marchand?

If Barkov is not 100% or Huby is not 100% and the team can not find ways to be competitive and win they are not built to be a contender.

There is definitely talent but there is no absolutely hate to lose presence on this team.

If anyone is watching The Last Dance. Forget the skill for a moment, the competitive drive is huge. Do you see any true competitors on this team that’s even 80% of that level?

 

[Drugs Delaney]

It comes down to D and leadership. If you can move Matheson and Yandle for some stay at home D who have some leadership and get some leaders in the forward group with a true captain. It doesn’t have to be a veteran, listen to some of the stories on Toews when he was young captain.

Giving them time and saying we were close to making the playoffs is not acceptable. Just making the playoffs is not the goal. The goal is to be competitive in the playoffs to work towards a cup. This team does not have the grit.

Blaming it on injuries shows how unprepared this team is for being in the playoffs.

Can Tampa still make the playoffs without Stamkos? Yeah they should.

How about Pittsburgh without Crosby? Malkins numbers are crazy when Crosby is out of the line up.

What about Boston and Marchand?

If Barkov is not 100% or Huby is not 100% and the team can not find ways to be competitive and win they are not built to be a contender.

There is definitely talent but there is no absolutely hate to lose presence on this team.

If anyone is watching The Last Dance. Forget the skill for a moment, the competitive drive is huge. Do you see any true competitors on this team that’s even 80% of that level?

Works for me. Let’s do this!

 

[Drugs Delaney]

Mix of both. Do need some more toughness, with the ability to play hockey in the bottom six and blueline.

I just like saying Gudbranson due to how much joy his name brings here lol.

Gudbranson > Moist

 

[Haj]

Better forward depth. A 2nd line that can drive play, a 3rd line that can shut down a top line.

Defensmen that aren't Pejorative Slured.

 

[panthersfan751]

I think the question needs to be asked whether this core (Barkov, Huberdeau, Ekblad) really is good enough to contend. It doesn't matter how good the supporting pieces are if the core isn't good enough. We've heard for so long about their potential but we have yet to see results in the postseason. They may win individual awards and put up a lot of points but they don't consistently show the ability to elevate their play or the ability to take over games when games tighten up in March and April. Unfortunately, I think our only hope is that they figure it out because hockey in South Florida is unlikely to survive a third consecutive rebuild.