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Offseason Keys: Florida Panthers

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With the postseason down to just three teams, many squads are well into their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league in what is shaping up to be a likely busy NHL offseason?  Next up in our Offseason Keys series is a look at the Florida Panthers.

While Florida missed the playoffs last season, they were a popular pick to take a step forward in 2018-19.  Not only were they coming off a strong finish the year before, they also added some help offensively in Mike Hoffman over the summer in one of the stranger moves of the offseason that saw him get dealt twice in mere hours.  Between that and another year of development of a promising young core, things were supposed to be looking up.  It didn’t quite work that way.  While Florida had minimal issues scoring, keeping the puck out of the net proved to be too insurmountable of a challenge and the end result was a 10-point drop in the standings and a quick coaching change at the end of the season to bring in Joel Quenneville.  With that move taken care of, here are the on-ice keys to Florida’s offseason.

Add A Core Defenseman

Between Aaron Ekblad, Keith Yandle, and Mike Matheson, the Panthers have some serviceable pieces on their back end.  While Ekblad may not become the true number one that his draft billing would suggest, he’s a capable two-way player.  Yandle remains one of the better offensive threats on the blueline while Matheson has shown flashes of potential as well.

Beyond that, the depth gets thin quite quickly.  Mark Pysyk is miscast in a top-four role while youngsters Mackenzie Weeger, Josh Brown, and Ian McCoshen are all depth players.  That will need to change if they want to turn things around.

They have been linked to Artemi Panarin given his history with Quenneville but they would be better off finding another legitimate top-four blueliner.  Unfortunately, there aren’t many of those available in free agency so they may have to go the trade route to get one.  If Florida wants to get back into the playoffs, they’ll need more from their back end than their top three can provide.

Find A Starting Goalie

Everyone knew that this moment was coming eventually.  At the age of 40, Roberto Luongo has shown signs of breaking down and isn’t a legitimate starting goalie anymore.  James Reimer was brought in to provide some stability as someone that could play a lot more than a typical starter.  However, he too has had injury issues and when he has played, he was no better than Luongo.

Both goalies are signed for multiple years still.  Luongo has three years at $4.533MM (with Vancouver paying another $800K) and Reimer checks in at $3.4MM for two more seasons.  That’s a fair bit of money tied into their goalies.

However, they don’t have a choice anymore.  A new number one goalie is a must-get this summer, even if it means they wind up spending more on that position than any other team.  There isn’t much hope in the system – Sam Montembeault could be a future backup but not a starter – so they can’t afford to wait it out.  The Panthers are clearly not rebuilding and are in win-now mode and a tandem of Luongo and Reimer won’t get them there.

Sergei Bobrovsky is by far the best goalie in free agency and given Florida’s cap space, he could very well be the perfect fit for them.  If that doesn’t happen though, they’ll need a Plan B in place.  Is that Semyon Varlamov or another lower-tier starter?  Or do they try to trade for a young goalie in the hopes that he’ll develop quickly?  There will be plenty of questions over the next six weeks until July 1st comes around and they find out who their next starter will be.

Extension Talks

Hoffman wound up being a great addition.  He fit in quite well with Florida’s high-end attack and responded with a career year, posting 36 goals and 34 assists.  He will be entering the final year of his contract in 2019-20 and will be looking for a sizable raise on his current $5.1875MM AAV.  The same can be said for winger Evgenii Dadonov.  His three-year, $12MM deal was viewed as a big gamble given how he fared in his first NHL stint but he has more than lived up to his contract and put up a 70-point campaign of his own this past season.

The good news for Florida is that their other core forwards are all locked up through at least 2021-22 so there aren’t some other big-ticket contracts coming due in the next little while.  Depending on how much they opt to spend in free agency (they have plenty of cap room but have been a budget team the last couple of years), they should be able to keep at least one of them around if not both.  If they can get new deals done for these two and shore up the goaltending situation at the very least, it could be a very quick turnaround for the Panthers heading into 2019-20.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eastern Notes: Williams, Canadiens Trade Options, Pettersson

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With the Carolina Hurricanes season over a little quicker than they would have hoped for after a quick four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference champ, there are now a bunch of questions surrounding the Carolina Hurricanes, with one question about what to do with soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Justin Williams.

The veteran captain will turn 38 years old early on in the season next year, but he was a key piece for Carolina’s success, posting 23 goals and 53 points last season as well as four goals and seven points in 15 playoff games. The News & Observer’s Chip Alexander writes that after signing a two-year deal at $4.5MM turned out great for Carolina two years ago and believes that Williams would be willing to come back on a one-year deal at roughly the same price.

“I know how much he’s put into this and I know there’s only so much gas in the tank, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I’m going to make sure he takes a couple of months before he makes a decision.”

  • Eric Engels of Sportsnet writes that with the top two free agent defensemen that Montreal Canadiens’ Marc Bergevin can add this offseason in Jake Gardiner and Alexander Edler (both of whom may not be worth the money it would take to sign them), the Canadiens might have to solve their need for a top-four defensemen via trade. The scribe suggests the team might have to move some of their top young prospects to improve its blueline and might have to consider moving either Nick Suzuki, Ryan Poehling, Cayden Primeau, Jesse Ylonen or Alex Romanov for help. One idea would be to try to pry Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere away with one of those top prospects as the 26-year-old could be moved to add more long-term help. Gostisbehere might immediately upgrade a defense which still needs help on their top-four. The scribe adds that Florida’s Mike Matheson could also be a candidate if the Panthers need to move out some salary to sign top free agents, which is expected.
  • TribLive’s Jonathan Bombulie writes that with Jake Guentzel’s new contract kicking in this season as his salary goes from $925K to $6MM next season, the team must be real careful in their negotiations with their five restricted free agents. The team expects that defenseman Marcus Pettersson should walk away with the biggest raise, as the team projects that Pettersson’s salary should increase from $794K to somewhere under $2MM per season. The 23-year-old defenseman established himself in Pittsburgh’s crowded defense after the Penguins acquired him in December for forward Daniel Sprong. Pettersson had two goals and 19 points in 57 games in Pittsburgh and had a plus-13 ratio on the ice.

Overseas Notes: Cannata, Praplan, Niederreiter

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It’s not clear who will be the Colorado Avalanche backup goaltender next season, but it certainly won’t be Joe Cannata. The 29-year old goaltender will not re-sign with the Avalanche after spending the last two seasons in their minor league system, as he is headed overseas to play in the Swedish second league. Cannata was originally selected by the Vancouver Canucks in 2009 but never ended up playing an NHL game after his college career ended in 2012.

The Avalanche have just two goaltenders under contract for 2019-20 in the whole organization, meaning they’ll need to ink another one before long. While Philipp Grubauer can handle a large role in the NHL, Adam Werner has very little experience in North america and surely won’t be used as the primary backup this season. Pavel Francouz and Semyon Varlamov are scheduled for unrestricted free agency, while Spencer Martin is an RFA once again.

  • Vincent Praplan’s time in North America is coming to a quick end. The Swiss forward is headed home to play for SC Bern this season after just a single year in the AHL. Praplan was originally signed by the San Jose Sharks in 2018 but was flipped to the Florida Panthers in a deadline deal. While he’s only 24, Praplan signed in Switzerland for another four years, effectively ending any thought of returning to Florida. The restricted free agent’s rights will be retained with a qualifying offer, but would expire before his new deal with Bern.
  • Speaking of Switzerland, their IIHF World Championship team has received some good news today as Nino Niederreiter is on his way to help. The Carolina Hurricanes forward will give the team another offensive threat as they try to continue their perfect tournament so far. The Swiss are currently 4-0 after dispatching Italy, Latvia, Austria and Norway with relative ease. Their big tests will come over the next two days when they take on Sweden and Russia, hopefully with a new face in the lineup.

East Notes: Schoenfeld, Bystrom, Hurricanes

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Jim Schoenfeld has stepped down from his position as New York Rangers assistant general manager, ending a 17-year run with the organization. The executive was the GM of the Hartford Wolf Pack for 14 years, but the team decided to hand over the minor league affiliate to Chris Drury in 2017. Rangers president Glen Sather released a statement:

In nearly two decades with the Rangers, Jim made an impact on every level of the organization. His tireless efforts and contributions were vital to the extended run of success we experienced during his tenure in New York.

Prior to his tenure in New York, Schoenfeld had worked as a head coach for the Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals and Phoenix Coyotes but achieved mild success. His overall record was 256-246-78 as an NHL coach, with a losing record in 57 playoff contests. His departure leaves Drury as the only assistant GM on staff for the time being.

  • Florida Panthers prospect Ludwig Bystrom is heading to Finland, signing a two-year contract with Karpat. The 24-year old defenseman was scheduled to be a restricted free agent this summer after spending the last two seasons with the Springfield Thunderbirds. Bystrom recorded 30 points in 71 games this season for Springfield, but still hasn’t made his NHL debut. The Swedish defenseman was originally drafted 43rd overall by the Dallas Stars in 2012.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes are expected to have Curtis McElhinney in net once again as they try to stay alive in their Eastern Conference Final against the Boston Bruins. McElhinney stopped 29 of 31 shots on Tuesday night in a losing effort, and will try to find some magic to keep the Hurricanes in the series. Regardless of what happens tonight the Hurricanes will have to make some tough decisions on their goaltending situation next season, as both McElhinny and Petr Mrazek are pending unrestricted free agents. Top prospect Alex Nedeljkovic was recently named AHL Goaltender of the Year, but has just two games of NHL experience.

Prospect Notes: Comrie, Ollas Mattsson, Praplan

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Less than two weeks after acquiring his WHL rights, the Kelowna Rockets have convinced defenseman Sean Comrie to leave the college level and join the junior ranks. The Rockets announced that the 19-year-old has signed on with the team beginning next season, leaving behind the University of Denver. Comrie, an Edmonton native, has always been a well-regarded prospect. He was initially drafted by the Brandon Wheat Kings in the second round of the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft. However, he opted to go the college route and committed to Denver instead of the WHL. Prior to heading to school, Comrie had a breakout campaign with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints in 2017-18, recording 34 points in 54 games. Many scouting sources projected Comrie to be a late-round draft pick last year, but he was surprisingly passed over. Joining the Pioneers as a freshman, the young blue liner likely hoped a strong NCAA campaign could get him back on the draft radar this year. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way; Comrie was used sparingly at Denver and did little with the ice time he did get, recording one lone point in 18 games. Looking to get his development back on track, it is no surprise that Comrie has decided to leave the college game to try his hand in juniors instead. The Rockets clearly still believe in his potential, as they moved back five spots in the first round of the WHL Draft earlier this month to acquire his rights. The next question now is whether an NHL team still sees enough in him to take a chance in the draft this season despite a down year.

  • Adam Ollas Mattsson seemingly did enough this season to finally earn an NHL contract from the Calgary Flames. Instead, he is back in his native Sweden visiting the Malmo Redhawks and is expected to sign, reports Swedish news source Kvalls Posten. Ollas Mattsson, 22, was a sixth-round pick by the Flames back in 2014 and stands out on the ice at 6’5″ and nearly 220 lbs. However, concerns about his skill level and skating led Calgary to refrain from signing him to an entry-level contract. Instead, Ollas Mattson chose to prove himself by signing an AHL contract with the Stockton Heat in 2016. After two seasons of being a little-used depth option, Ollas Mattson broke out this year, skating in 65 games for Stockton and recording 18 points and +22 rating. Not only was this campaign a career best across the board for Ollas Mattson, it was among the best seasons for any Heat players. The big Swede led the team in plus/minus by a drastic margin, led all defenseman in games played, and finished third among defensemen in scoring. Admittedly, even a season like that was unlikely to push Ollas Mattson into the NHL ice time conversation on a crowded Calgary blue line, but it should have at least earned him an NHL contract. Whether he made the choice to return to Sweden willingly or felt the Flames and their NHL competitors had no interest, Ollas Mattson heads back to his homeland a much better player who may still yet draw NHL interest down the road. The former Djurgardens junior standout will switch teams, joining a Malmo squad that will get a big boost from the big defender.
  • Swiss forward Vincent Praplan is at least considering following in Ollas Mattson’s footsteps. The Florida Panthers prospect, who is a restricted free agent, has been linked to SC Bern of the Swiss NLA already this off-season, after just one season in the NHL. Praplan, 24, signed a one-year entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks last summer and hoped to compete for a roster spot. Instead, he played exclusively with the AHL’s Barracuda until a deadline deal that sent him to the Panthers for only “future considerations”. Florida also sent Praplan to the AHL, where he finished out the season with the Springfield Thunderbirds. Now, Swiss news site Berner Zeitung writes that he is prepared to return to Switzerland if he does not receive a qualifying offer, or perhaps even a guarantee of NHL action, from the Panthers. Given the Panthers’ deep forward corps and their willingness to be active in free agency this summer, odds are Praplan plays in more games in Bern next season than in Sunrise.

Florida Panthers Sign Aleksi Heponiemi

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The Florida Panthers have big plans for this offseason, and it started today by getting a top prospect under contract. The team announced they have agreed to terms with Aleksi Heponiemi on a three-year entry-level contract. GM Dale Tallon released a statement regarding his new prospect:

We are thrilled to have agreed to terms with Aleksi. He is an immensely skilled and dynamic player with excellent vision and hockey IQ. Aleksi has been an elite player at every level and a leader on winning teams on the junior and international stages. We look forward to Aleksi’s development with the Panthers and believe he will be an important part of our organization’s success for years to come.

Heponiemi, 20, was selected 40th overall in 2017 but with hindsight may have deserved to go even higher. The Finnish forward oozes offensive potential, and showed it off in 2017-18 by scoring 148 points in 83 games with the Swift Current Broncos. After dominating the WHL he left for Finland this season and ended up with 46 points in 50 regular season games for Karpat, good for 12th in the entire league. While he struggled in the playoffs, there’s good reason to believe that Heponiemi will turn into a productive player for the Panthers down the line.

That 2017 draft also produced Owen Tippett for the Panthers, another top offensive player that could make waves for them in the near future. Add those two to others like Henrik Borgstrom, Grigori Denisenko and Serron Noel and you have the makings of another wave of forward talent for new head coach Joel Quenneville to mold. With stars like Aleksander Barkov already in their prime for the NHL club, and the Panthers expected to go hard after some top free agents this summer, things are looking up in Florida.

Snapshots: Mrazek, Olofsson, Panthers

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When the Eastern Conference Final resumes on Tuesday, the Carolina Hurricanes may have a different starting goaltender. NHL.com’s Shawn P. Roarke relays that Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour would not commit to starting Petr Mrazek again in Game Three. The Boston Bruins have scored 11 goals in the first two games of the series, all but one of which were attributed to Mrazek. He had only allowed allowed on goal in his previous two games and only 20 total in nine playoff games this season before arriving in Boston. Clearly, the Bruins have him figured out right now and it may be time for Carolina to give Curtis McElhinney a shot. Brind’amour approached Mrazek about coming out of Game Two, but the 27-year-old keeper wanted to stick it out, a right that the coach said he had earned. However, as Mrazek’s play did not improve as the game went on, he has likely lost that right to determine when he plays. McElhinney, who turns 36 next week, may have tread on the tired but is well-rested after making only three appearances so far in the playoffs. In those game, he has been stellar as well, posting a .947 save percentage and 1.56 GAA. If the Hurricanes are to win four of their next five games to come back and beat Boston, they’ll need some magic and Mrazek appears to be all out. Perhaps McElhinney has been saving some up for the first postseason run of his 12-year NHL career.

  • Chicago Blackhawks prospect Fredrik Olofsson is heading home to Sweden. Olofsson, who made his pro debut last month with the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs, has signed with MODO of the Swedish Hockey League, according to Swedish news source Kvalls Posten. This could be the end of Olofsson’s days in North American hockey, as he wraps up a solid NCAA career only to immediately bolt. Olofsson was a fourth-round pick by the Blackhawks in 2014 and played four seasons at the University of Nebraska – Omaha, leading the team in scoring in his senior season. The 22-year-old forward played in a pair of games with the Blackhawks’ affiliate, but has not been offered an NHL contract. He will thus become a free agent in August when his NHL rights expire, but doesn’t seem optimistic about his market. Interestingly, while Olofsson has represented Sweden on the international stage, he has never played competitively in his home country. Olofsson played his midget, junior, and college hockey in the U.S., but is now finally ready to return home.
  • The Florida Panthers are expected to be major players on the free agent market this summer, with much of the speculated centered on their interest in top free agents Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. While goaltending was certainly an issue this season and Bobrovksy would help immensely, defense was also a major concern and wouldn’t be addressed by grabbing only those two. Unsurprisingly, GM Dale Tallon tells The Athletic’s George Richards that a top-four right-handed defenseman is also on his wish list this summer. However, cap space is going to be tight for the Panthers and top righties like Erik Karlsson and Tyler Myers are likely out of their price range. Richards lists Anton Stralman and Adam McQuaid as right-side free agent options, while Ben Lovejoy, Dan Girardi, and Roman Polak would be other possibilities. If those aren’t impressive enough to be considered a top-four solution, Florida could be an intriguing trade partner for the Winnipeg Jets or Ottawa Senators for Jacob Trouba and Cody Ceci respectively.

Coaching Updates: Buffalo, Edmonton, Toronto

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As usual, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet has produced another edition of “31 Thoughts” that is chock full of insider information. With the postseason ongoing and free agency yet to begin (officially anyway), a considerable focus this week is on head coaching vacancies. And the coaching news is coming in fast. Less than 24 hours after initially naming Ralph Krueger as a candidate for the vacancy with the Buffalo Sabres, Friedman writes that he is now considered the favorite. The former Edmonton Oilers head coach, and most recently soccer executive, has ties to GM Jason Botterill and has the experience that the Sabres reportedly seek. Friedman also believes that Pittsburgh Penguins assistant Jacques Martin is out of the running for the Buffalo job, which may have moved Krueger up the board. He also adds that Tampa Bay Lightning assistant Todd Richards is no longer being considered.

  • Long-time NHL head coach Dave Tippett is still a candidate in Buffalo, but Friedman believes that he has become the favorite in Edmonton and is more likely to take over as the Oilers’ head coach. Tippett has been working with the Seattle expansion team ownership group of late, but has been itching to get back to coaching. In 14 years of coaching, Tippett finished above .500 11 times and made the playoffs eight times. That alone is a major step up for Edmonton, who have done neither of those things in nine of the past ten years. Joining Tippett in Edmonton as an assistant could be recent Florida Panthers head coach Bob Boughner, Friedman adds. By many accounts Boughner was fired not due to his own performance, but due to Joel Quenneville’s availability, so he would be a major addition as well.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs may not need to worry about losing highly-touted AHL head coach Sheldon Keefe. Keefe’s name has been relatively quiet on the coaching market thus far, but that could be due to the fact that Friedman believes he is unwilling to leave Toronto unless there is a better chance for him to succeed. Keefe could be in line to replace Mike Babcock as Leafs head coach when his contract ends (or sooner) and step into a talented Toronto lineup. However, assistant D.J. Smith remains a candidate in Ottawa and fellow assistant Jim Hiller has been granted permission to interview elsewhere, Friedman reports. Friedman does not expect Hiller to be back in Toronto next season and mentions the Nashville Predators as a potential landing spot. Hiller’s power play expertise could certainly help a Predator’s man advantage that was the worst in the NHL this season. The potential loss of both Smith and Hiller would hurt for the Maple Leafs and could force them to move Keefe to the NHL as an assistant.
  • Friedman has no news about the vacancies in Ottawa and Anaheim. As it stands now, the Senators are considering Smith, Martin, Dallas Stars assistant Rick Bowness, Providence College’s Nate Leaman, and internal candidates Troy Mann and Marc Crawford. As for the Ducks, it appears to be Dallas Eakins, whose AHL San Diego Gulls are still alive in the Calder Cup playoffs, or bust.

Snapshots: Edmonton, Brunette, Draft Rankings

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The Edmonton Oilers have started a new chapter of franchise history with the hiring of GM Ken Holland, and he intends to make it a good one. Holland sat down with Sportsnet’s Mark Spector for an exhaustive interview, in which he discusses everything from his take on Milan Lucic to what his dad did for a living. The piece will give Oilers fans insight into their new executive, and when asked what he wanted to tell those fans he gave a clear answer:

I would say, when you make the playoffs once in 13 years, I understand the frustration. I’m coming here to try to make the playoffs now, but to build over time. I want Edmonton to be an elite team. I’d like to see the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup playoffs next season. I got their frustration.

Getting the Oilers to the playoffs next season will be no easy task, given they finished in 25th this year and had a -42 goal differential, but he does have Connor McDavid to work with. Holland mentions Leon Draisaitl multiple times in the piece as well, and notes that his biggest challenge will be finding a way to support his two superstars.

  • Joel Quenneville will be behind the bench of the Florida Panthers this season, and he may be bringing in an old friend to help out. Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest tweets that Andrew Brunette’s name is coming up in connection with Quenneville, and the two have a “strong relationship that goes back several years.” In fact, Brunette played under Quenneville in Colorado for three years between 2005-08, and actually experienced the best season of his career, 83 points. He finished his career playing for the legendary head coach again in Chicago for a single season. Brunette was with the Minnesota Wild organization for the past several years, but was fired along with several others last month when Paul Fenton made sweeping changes. He had served in several different roles including assistant GM, director of player personnel and assistant coach.
  • Craig Button of TSN has released his latest mock draft, and it has a drastic fall for top Russian prospect Vasili Podkolzin. Podkolzin comes in at 13th in the newest edition, with Button comparing him (in a piece written by Darren Yourk) to Arizona Coyotes Lawson Crouse. One of the biggest risers is USNTDP sniper Cole Caufield, who is all the way up at No. 5 after an incredible showing at the U18 World Championship. Caufield has scored at will everywhere he’s ever played, but measures in at just 5’7″ and 162 lbs.

Florida Panthers Extend Chris Driedger

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The Florida Panthers have agreed to terms with goaltender Chris Driedger on a two-year two-way extension, keeping him in the organization through the 2020-21 season. Driedger was set to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer after failing to get much NHL opportunity in his career so far.

Driedger, 24, was a third-round pick by the Ottawa Senators in 2012 but received just three NHL appearances with them over the years. The rest of his time was spent in the minor leagues—both the ECHL and AHL levels—until they eventually decided not to issue him a qualifying offer in 2018. After signing an AHL deal to play with the Springfield Thunderbirds, Driedger earned himself a two-way NHL contract at the most recent trade deadline to give the team some extra goaltending depth down the stretch. He still never played for the Panthers, but after they moved Michael Hutchinson they needed an extra body in case of injury.

That’s the same role he’ll likely fill going forward, as the team has several other goaltenders in the system already. Roberto Luongo and James Reimer are both under contract still, while Sam Montembeault is deserving of a new deal. There is also the chance that the Panthers go after someone like Sergei Bobrovsky in free agency, pushing everyone even further down the ladder.

Still, this is obviously a nice bit of stability for Driedger who played extremely well for the Thunderbirds this year. In 32 appearances he recorded a .924 save percentage, the highest mark of his career at any level. If he can continue that performance he’s still young enough to perhaps earn an NHL role at some point down the line.

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