CBS4's Steve Goldstein on start of Florida Panthers season
SUNRISE - After an offseason of change, the Florida Panthers finally test out their new look on the ice Thursday night in New York on Long Island.
There is a new head coach, a handful of assistants, and six new skaters, one third of the team. For the first time in a decade, Jonathan Huberdeau is not part of the puzzle. But expectations are high for a team that had a franchise-best 122 points last season to lead the NHL and won its first playoff series in 26 years.
Captain Barkov
This is Aleksander Barkov's fifth season as team captain, tied for the 10th longest tenure wearing the "C" in the league. He scored a career high 39 goals last season despite missing games with injury.
Barkov starts his eight-year, $80 million contract, as the top line center and best player on the team. His defensive work is amongst the best in hockey and he looks like he gained muscle over the summer, likely with an eye toward the playoffs where open ice is as hard to find as a cool day in South Florida in August.
Barkov is simply one of the best all-around players in the NHL.
Chucky Time
Matthew Tkachuk is eager to get started with his new team. Coming from Calgary in the blockbuster Jonathan Huberdeau deal, Tkachuk brings needed swagger and personality. He also had his best offensive season last year with more than 100 points and 42 goals.
To put that in Panthers' perspective, only one player in team history has scored more goals in a season, Pavel Bure. But it's Tkachuk's tenacity, attitude, grit, and willingness to go to the net hard that separates him from most of hockey's other top scorers and players. At 24 years old with an eight year contract, he will be an instant fan favorite and one of the faces of the franchise.
Step Up D
With MacKenzie Weegar gone in the Tkachuk deal, the Panthers will look to Gustav Forsling and Brandon Montour to play bigger roles on defense. Both players will have to shine for the defense to have success. Forsling and Montour have offensive and defensive skating abilities and move the puck well. The team is banking on them being ready, in the prime of their careers, to do more on the ice. Veterans Radko Gudas and Marc Staal bring a defensive game and physical presence to the blue line.
Net Covered
The returning duo in goal gives coach Paul Maurice a good situation for playing time and competition. Veteran Sergei Bobrovsky will start the opener against the Islanders. He had his best season as a Panther last year. Spencer Knight is now 21 years old and may be ready for a bigger role. Having players at the same position push one another is a positive, especially in goal.
Cap Crunch
With a lack of salary cap space, the roster doesn't have much, or any, flexibility. It has the minimum number of players for opening night and that may be the situation for some time. The Panthers are also hoping to still sign Eric Staal at some point, who came to training camp on a tryout.
Here's how it's likely to line up against the Islanders on opening night, the 29th year in the Panthers' franchise history.
Verhaeghe Barkov Reinhart
Tkachuk Bennett Balcers
Luosterinen Lundell White
Lomberg Cousins Hornqvist
Forsling Ekblad
Staal Montour
Mahura Gudas
Bobrovsky
Knight
