Panthers add speed, skill to retooled blue line
It's not often that a team finishes a season first in their respective division, only to rebuild its blue line over the summer.
But that's just the case with the Florida Panthers, who brought in three new defensemen this offseason, signing free agents Keith Yandle and Jason Demers to big-ticket deals, and flipping Dmitry Kulikov to the Buffalo Sabres for fellow blue-liner Mark Pysyk.
As part of the shake up, the Panthers also said goodbye to former first-rounder Erik Gudbranson, who was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks for winger Jared McCann, while puck mover Brian Campbell signed with his former club, the Chicago Blackhawks. As well, veteran defenseman and team captain Willie Mitchell remains a free agent and is not expected to return.
"I thought our defense did a real good job last year, but for us to get better, we had to get a little bit more talent, a little bit more speed," Panthers head coach Gerard Gallant told NHL.com. "I think we increased our talent level, our speed, (and) puck movement from the back end."
Yandle signed on for seven seasons with Florida, while Demers put pen to paper for five years. The offseason additions join several other new teammates who have committed to the Panthers long term.
They join young blue-liner Aaron Ekblad, who signed an 8-year, $60-million pact with the team on July 1, as well as forwards Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Nick Bjugstad, and Reilly Smith, plus goaltenders Roberto Luongo and new acquisition James Reimer, all of whom have signed for the next five seasons.
"As a head coach, that's what you like to see. They've got a great future," Gallant said. "We've got a great team there and to get those players all signed to long-term contracts, that's huge for our fan base and that's huge for our hockey team because they're all good hockey players."
In addition to the second division title in club history, the Panthers finished with a franchise-best 103 points last season. This year, the club looks to take the next step, winning their first playoff series since 1996.