With the Panthers now healthy up front and making their way up the Atlantic Division, the team now plans to be a buyer at the trade deadline, team president of hockey operations Dale Tallon told NHL.com’s Arpon Basu. In particular, the team is hoping to add to what has become a more potent attack recently with the returns of Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov to the lineup.
While many teams appear to be hesitant to part with quality prospects, Florida finds themselves in a nice situation with a younger core, many of which are already signed long-term. Accordingly, they may have the ability to move some of their picks or prospects if the right fit happens to present itself trade-wise in the next week and a half.
Another thing that the Panthers have that a lot of buying teams don’t is plenty of cap space. They’re currently pegged to have the ability to take on nearly $43MM in salary on deadline day per CapFriendly which is clearly more than enough to fit in any acquisitions they have in mind.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Senators winger Bobby Ryan suffered a hand injury last night against the Maple Leafs and is out indefinitely, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun (Twitter link). He notes that if Ryan’s hand is broken, he could be out of the lineup for the next three to six weeks. Although he has underachieved this year (he has just 24 points in 50 games, not the type of production they’re expecting for someone with a $7.25MM cap hit), his absence will create a void in Ottawa’s middle six moving forward. If he winds up being out for an extended period of time, it wouldn’t be surprising to see GM Pierre Dorion look to add another winger via the trade market.
- Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner has quietly become one of the top goalies in the league and is doing so at the perfect time, writes Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. He quietly sits tied for third overall in save percentage by a starting goalie this year (.926) and teammates have noted he has taken on more of a leadership role in the dressing room as well. The timing for this is great for Lehner and the Sabres – not only are they making a late push for a playoff spot, the 25 year old is set to become a restricted free agent this summer and is positioning himself for a sizable raise from the $2.25MM cap hit he currently carries. (He will be owed a qualifying offer of $3.15MM in June, his actual salary for this season.)
- Red Wings defenseman Mike Green has now missed the last two games due to an illness and remains day-to-day, notes MLive’s Ansar Khan. The 31 year old has been Detroit’s top offensive threat from the back end by far, recording 26 points (10-16-26) in 49 games. By comparison, their next highest point getter from the back end is Xavier Ouellet who checks in with ten points. In the meantime, rookie Ryan Sproul will continue to play while Green is out of the lineup.