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Florida Panthers Hire Blue Jackets’ Bill Zito As GM

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Wednesday: The Panthers have officially announced the hire, introducing Zito as the team’s next general manager. In the release, owner Vincent Viola included an explanation for the move:

We are thrilled to welcome Bill Zito as General Manager of the Florida Panthers. Bill is an excellent mind in our game today who proved during his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets that he possesses great prowess for evaluating talent and building success. He brings great experience to our club and possesses a strong business acumen.

Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that Zito received a five-year contract from the Panthers, quite a commitment as the team tries to figure out the roster and return to the playoffs.

Tuesday: After all the hype in recent weeks over Florida’s ongoing search for their next general manager – a list of candidates that included executives and scouts from a number of teams as well as several television analysts – it seems the team will in fact go with a name that had not been publicly mentioned. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Panthers are closing in on a deal to make Columbus Blue Jackets Associate GM Bill Zito their next GM. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun adds that a formal announcement is expected on Wednesday.

Zito, 55, has served as an executive for the Blue Jackets since 2013. Initially an assistant GM, Zito eventually took on the role of GM of the club’s AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, and this season was elevated to Associate GM and Sr. VP of Hockey Operations. Prior to his time with Columbus, Zito was a player agent and one of the founders of Acme World Sports.

Now joining the Panthers, replacing Dale Tallon as GM, Zito has his work cut out for him. Fortunately, his familiarity with goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky could help the veteran to settle in during year two after a disastrous first season with the Panthers. More reliable results in net would be a major step for Florida. The team also needs to improve its defense while finding a way to re-sign or replace top forwards Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov. The Florida Panthers have not won a playoff series since 1996, the worst drought in the NHL, and Zito’s task will be to put together a contender and end that sorry streak as soon as possible.

Brady Keeper Re-Signed By Florida Panthers

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Even though the Florida Panthers are currently without a GM, the front office is still taking care of business. The team has announced a new one-year contract for Brady Keeper, one of their players scheduled for restricted free agency. The deal will be two-way, though the financial details have not been released.

Keeper, 24, played the entire 2019-20 regular season in the minor leagues, scoring 18 points in 61 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds. An undrafted free agent signing in 2019, Keeper had previously played two seasons at the University of Maine. Interestingly enough, he got into just his second NHL game this summer when he played just over 13 minutes against the New York Islanders, recording two hits and two blocked shots.

It’s hard to know where anyone stands in the Florida organization right now, given the uncertainty in the front office, but there are bound to be some changes coming to the NHL roster before the start of the 2019-20 season. Should defensemen be moved out to shake things up, Keeper will be one of the first men up on the depth chart to try and take a full-time role.

Chris Drury Withdraws From Florida’s GM Search

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The Panthers have cast a wide net as they look to find a replacement for former GM Dale Tallon whose contract was not renewed.  In recent weeks, Scott Mellanby, John Ferguson Jr., Bill Armstrong, Laurence Gilman, Sean Burke, Ron Hextall, and Kevin Weekes have all interviewed for the position, and Florida Hockey Now’s adds Peter CHiarelli and Eddie Olczyk to the list as well. Rangers Assistant GM Chris Drury additionally interviewed for the vacancy.  However, as Florida sets their shortlist for the next round of interviews, Drury has withdrawn his name from consideration, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post.

Drury has been with New York since 2015 when he started as their Director of Player Development.  He was promoted to assistant GM the following year and became GM of AHL Hartford in 2017 as well.  In 2019, he got his first international GM assignment when he headed up Team USA at the World Championships.  That experience made it no surprise when he came under consideration to replace Tallon.

His name has come up for several GM vacancies around the league over the years so while he won’t wind up with this job, it only seems like a matter of time before Drury gets a chance to run his own NHL team.  No reason for withdrawing from this search was given.

Meanwhile, Brooks adds a couple more names to the list of candidates in former Boston and Edmonton GM Peter Chiarelli and Blackhawks/NBC analyst Eddie Olczyk.  He mentions that both are expected to be among the finalists for the position.

Bruins Executive John Ferguson Jr. Interviewed For Florida Panthers GM

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With the 2020 NHL Draft scheduled for just over a month from now on October 9-10 and an abbreviated (read: frenzied) off-season beginning soon after, the Florida Panthers are still without anyone at the helm. The club fired general manager Dale Tallon back on August 10 after a decade on the job. At the time, the club stated that a search for his replacement had already begun. Yet, it has been all quiet out of Sunrise in the weeks since.

With the clock ticking, there has finally been some development in the story. On Monday, it was reported that at least three people had interviewed for the GM vacancy: St. Louis Blues Assistant GM Bill Armstrong, Montreal Canadiens scout Sean Burke, and NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes. There have been other names associated with the opening as well, but no one else had been confirmed to have been interviewed.

Now you can add one more name to the list. New England hockey insider Mark Divver reports that Boston Bruins Executive Director of Player Personnel John Ferguson Jr. has interviewed for the position.  An executive for the Bruins since 2016, including serving as the GM of the AHL’s Providence Bruins, Ferguson is probably best remembered as the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2003-2008. Among many moves, Ferguson was responsible for drafting and trading Tuukka Rask, acquiring veteran Hall of Famers Ron Francis and Brian Leetch, and signing core defensemen Tomas Kaberle and Bryan McCabe to long-term extensions.

While the Bruins likely wouldn’t be thrilled with a top executive heading to a division rival, Ferguson would be a great hire for the Panthers if they choose to go in that direction. Since Ferguson’s hire, the Bruins have been one of the league’s most elite, with the third-most regular season wins and second-most postseason wins over his four seasons. Florida has one playoff win and the 21st most regular season wins in that time span. The Panthers also have not won a playoff series since 1996, the worst drought in the NHL. The second-worst drought? The Maple Leafs, who have not taken a series since Ferguson left the organization. Ferguson has experience and has contributed to several winning NHL clubs, making him a good fit for a Panthers team in need of a turnaround and some prolonged success.

Free Agent Notes: Top-10, Pietrangelo, Crawford

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After the morning news was dominated by the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins completing a trade, you might be wondering what is next for clubs looking to improve their lot. While the trade market is apparently open, free agency—set to start in October—is where a number of exceptional names will be available for nothing more than money. Frank Seravalli of TSN breaks down the ten names he believes are at the top of the list, including three different Florida Panther forwards.

Mike Hoffman, Evgeni Dadonov and Erik Haula are all set to hit the open market and it is not clear if the Panthers will try to retain any of them. In fact, it’s not very clear what the Panthers want to do with any members of their team given the uncertainty in the front office. Florida is still on the search for a new general manager, who will have to quickly make some tough decisions (or engage in brief negotiations) with his trio of pending free agent forwards.

  • The very top name on Seravalli’s list however is Alex Pietrangelo, the St. Louis Blues captain and one of the best defensemen in the entire league. Pietrangelo actually spoke with reporters including Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic today and explained how much the Blues franchise means to him after a decade manning the blueline in St. Louis. Pietrangelo has always indicated a desire to remain in St. Louis, but in a flat-cap world it’s not going to be easy for the Blues to pull off. The team currently has nearly $79.5MM in salary committed to next season already including expensive extensions that kick in for Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk. That doesn’t leave room for Pietrangelo, meaning they’d have to clear the deck if they want to bring the 30-year old back.
  • Speaking of players who want to stay put, Corey Crawford was clear in his intentions when speaking with reporters today. As Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports, Crawford explained that he’s “definitely leaning towards staying in Chicago” but that he does want to be a starter still. Crawford admitted that a short-term deal might work for both him and the Blackhawks—which makes sense given the salary cap situation and the fact that Crawford will turn 36 in December.

Florida Panthers GM Search Continues

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The Florida Panthers have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NHL the last few seasons. After collecting plenty of high-end talent including Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Aaron Ekblad and even now Sergei Bobrovsky, the team has been trending in the wrong direction. The last time they made the playoffs was in 2016 and they still haven’t won a single series since their 1996 Stanley Cup Final cinderella run.

Recently, they decided to make a move in the front office, relieving Dale Tallon of his duties and beginning a search for a new general manager. Names like Scott Mellanby, Laurence Gilman, and Ron Hextall have all been involved, but a few more candidates have emerged in recent days. On Hockey Night in Canada this weekend, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that Bill Armstrong, assistant GM of the St. Louis Blues, has been interviewed, along with NHL Network analyst and former NHL goaltender Kevin Weekes. Today, Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider adds Sean Burke to the list of interviewees.

The search for the right person to lead the Panthers to glory is obviously a thorough one, but the team does not have a ton of time to complete it. The NHL Draft and free agency will begin just a few days after the league awards a Stanley Cup at the beginning of October, meaning whoever takes over the job has less than two months of preparation if hired today.

With the 12th selection this season, the Panthers are a team to watch at the draft if the new GM decides to make a splash. They selected goaltending prospect Spencer Knight with the 13th pick a year ago and already have several other high-end prospects in the system. Evgeni Dadonov, Erik Haula and Mike Hoffman’s expiring contracts will give the newcomer plenty of cap space to work with, though they obviously may want to retain the services of at least one of those forwards.

The biggest question may come on defense, where the Panthers have nearly $25MM already committed to next season but struggled mightily in their own end. Michael Matheson carries a $4.875MM cap hit through the 2025-26 season but was made a healthy scratch again in the qualification round and is obviously a big question mark for next year.

At any rate, the next GM of the Panthers has a lot of work to do this offseason to vault them back to Eastern Conference contenders.

Panthers RFA Aleksi Saarela Signs In Finland

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While he waits for a contract in the NHL to be completed, Florida RFA winger Aleksi Saarela has signed with Luuko of the SM-liiga, the Finnish team announced.  There is no fixed length of the contract; instead, it will be in effect until Saarela re-signs with the Panthers.

After a productive 2018-19 campaign in Carolina, the 23-year-old was traded to Chicago as part of the Calvin de Haan trade.  However, his time there didn’t last long as less than three weeks into the season, he was flipped to Florida for blueliner Ian McCoshen.

Saarela had a decent season with AHL Springfield, picking up a dozen goals with 19 assists in 43 games which was good enough to sit fourth on the Thunderbirds in scoring.  He also got into four games with the Panthers where he acquitted himself relatively well, picking up two goals and two assists in nine contests while logging a little over 12 minutes a game in ice time.  That should have him in the mix for a full-time roster spot for 2020-21, particularly since he will be eligible for waivers next year.

In the meantime, Saarela returns to a Luuko program that he’s familiar with.  He spent most of 2016-17 with them on loan and did well, tallying 15 goals and 13 helpers in 49 games.  He’ll be able to get into game shape in Finland which should help his push for a role with Florida when next season gets underway.

Eetu Luostarinen Loaned To KalPa

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Eetu Luostarinen has had quite the year. After signing his entry-level contract last spring, the young forward made the jump to North American pro hockey, playing for the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. A month into the season, he earned himself a recall to the NHL where he played in eight games for the Carolina Hurricanes, before returning to anchor a line in the minor leagues.

Even though things were going fairly well in his rookie season, he found himself moving to a new organization in February when the Hurricanes traded him (along with three others) for Vincent Trocheck.

Now, after finishing his season with five scoreless games for the Springfield Thunderbirds, Luostarinen will return to Finland’s Liiga and play for KalPa again. The Florida Panthers have loaned the 21-year-old forward back to his old club team until the end of November when he will presumably return for NHL training camp.

Selected 42nd overall in 2017, the 6’3″ center was excited to get another chance to play in Finland as he continues his development. For prospects still looking to make their mark, getting a chance to start playing overseas before training camp is a bonus. Luostarinen has two years remaining on his entry-level deal.

Panthers Receive Permission To Interview Rangers Assistant GM Chris Drury

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While the Panthers have a couple of months before the offseason opens up, it appears that they are looking to fill their GM vacancy quickly.  Last week, Canadiens assistant GM Scott Mellanby and former Kings executive Mike Futa were linked to Florida and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in the latest Saturday Headlines segment (video link) that Rangers assistant GM Chris Drury has received permission to interview for the position.

Drury has been with the Rangers since 2015 when he joined them as their Director of Player Development.  The following year, he was promoted to assistant GM and became GM of AHL Hartford in 2017 as well.  In 2019, he got his first international GM role when he was in charge of Team USA at the World Championships where they lost in the quarterfinals.  Given his experience, his name has come up for several GM vacancies around the league over the years.

Friedman adds that Bruins assistant GM John Ferguson Jr. and Maple Leafs assistant GM Laurence Gilman are also believed to be interview targets although those have not been finalized as of yet.  Ferguson Jr. spent five seasons as Toronto’s GM from 2003-04 through 2007-08 while Gilman hasn’t had the opportunity to be a GM at the NHL level.

Offseason Keys: Florida Panthers

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As teams are eliminated from the Qualifying Round, it means that the offseason has arrived for several more squads.  Having covered the teams that weren’t a part of the NHL’s return, we shift our focus to the ones that have been ousted.  Next up is a look at Florida.

While they missed the playoffs a year ago, expectations were justifiably high for the Panthers coming into the season.  They made a big splash behind the bench with the hiring of Joel Quenneville, added a big-name goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky along with some other capable veterans.  That was supposed to be enough to give them a big boost.  It didn’t happen.  Instead, Bobrovsky struggled and they continued to be on the playoff bubble in the East.  They didn’t fare particularly well in the Qualifying Round against the Islanders which has them looking to shake things up again.  Here’s what they’ll be looking to accomplish.

Find New GM

First things first.  After officially letting Dale Tallon go early this week (via a non-renewal of his contract), the Panthers need to decide who will be making the decisions.  Tallon had been in the role for most of the last decade with Tom Rowe briefly holding the position for less than a year.

Considering that they already made one cost-cutting move before the pandemic hit when they shipped Vincent Trocheck to Carolina, it will be interesting to see if they look for a more under the radar candidate with an eye on trying to save some money, especially in the face of an expected decline in revenues for another couple of years after this.

It will also be worth watching to see if they revert back to the mindset that saw Rowe put in the role back in 2016 when the team looked to go in a more analytically-minded direction.  Tallon has the reputation for being more of an old-school general manager so a shift towards a more analytics-driven approach is something that could certainly be on the table.

The search is still in the early stages as the Panthers look to get permission to speak to candidates.  Montreal assistant GM Scott Mellanby is one of the known scheduled interviews while Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic adds former Kings executive Mike Futa to that list; there will be several others considered as well.  Florida will have some work to do in the coming months but they can’t do much until they determine who Tallon’s replacement will be.

Who Stays, Who Goes?

Taylor Hall, Alex Pietrangelo, and Torey Krug stand at the top of the upcoming UFA class but they’re sandwiched in the top five in scoring by a pair of Florida wingers in Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov.  At this point, it seems unlikely that the team will be able to afford to re-sign both of them while filling their other areas of need and staying within budget so it seems as if they’ll have to pick which one they want to try to keep.

Hoffman has the longer track record of success at the NHL level.  He led the team in goals this season with 29 and his point per game average was 0.86, a career high that had him playing just above a 70-point pace.  He’s also a significant threat on the man advantage, averaging nearly 12 power play goals per year over the past five seasons.  Even though his all-around game isn’t the strongest, being that type of scoring threat is going to draw a lot of attention on the open market, even with the salary cap challenges that the pandemic has presented.  Hoffman had a cap hit of just under $5.2MM on his soon-ending contract and he should be in line for a raise on that mark this offseason.

As for Dadonov, his point per game rate dipped a bit this season although he was on pace to match the 28 goals he put up in each of his first two years back with the Panthers.  After a stint in the KHL, his second go-round with Florida has been much more productive and since his return, he has been a capable top-six forward at a minimum; his first two years back saw him put up top line numbers.  The lighter track record may lower his market a little bit and while he’s looking at a nice pay bump on his $4MM AAV, he should come in a little bit cheaper than Hoffman.

Both players will be entering their age-31 year and it appears that their best-case scenario is that one will stay and one will go.

Add Defensive Help

Florida has spent a lot of money trying to shore things up defensively in recent years.  Aaron Ekblad is making $7.5MM per year.  They handed Keith Yandle $6.35MM per season and felt that Michael Matheson was a core cog, giving him $4.875MM.  That wasn’t enough so last summer, they added Anton Stralman for $5.5MM per year while inking what appeared to be a significant upgrade between the pipes in Bobrovsky with the second-richest cap hit for a goaltender in NHL history.

Those moves were supposed to propel them out of 28th in the league in goals allowed.  Instead, after the extra money invested in preventing goals, they still wound up in 28th place.

Evidently, spending roughly half of the salary cap on defense and goaltending isn’t enough to move the needle.  They don’t want to invest more between the pipes given how much they’re spending on Bobrovsky so trying to add another blueliner will be what the new GM needs to do.  Mark Pysyk is a pending unrestricted free agent (and at this point, may be a better winger than a defenseman anyway) while Josh Brown is best utilized as a seventh defender so there is a vacancy that can be filled.  They may not be able to throw much more money at that position so whoever gets the GM job will need to spend wisely to help bolster their back end and give Bobrovsky some much-needed help in the process.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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