CBS4's Steve Goldstein Breaks Down The Trades The 'All In' Panthers Have Made

SUNRISE (CBSMiami) – The Panthers have had a fantastic season, but that has not stopped them from being very active in trades.

Florida has acquired three players, fortifying the lineup and signaling they are all in to win the team's first Stanley Cup.

The biggest piece is former Philadelphia captain Claude Giroux, who is a top line player.

The trade deadline is Monday at 3 p.m.

Barkov Gets Help

If there was one spot on this team that had not been consistent, it was right wing on the top line.

With Aleksander Barkov at center and Carter Verhaeghe on the left side, the Panthers have rotated right wingers.

Sam Reinhart, Anthony Duclair, Mason Marchment and Owen Tippett, who was traded for Giroux, are amongst those to full that spot.

Enter Giroux.

He played his 1000th NHL game this past week and has 900 points in his career. Giroux is a potential hall of famer with great vision, hockey smarts and playmaking ability.

His defensive game has improved over the years, and he likely will slot in on top line RW. It's the final piece to the puzzle at forward for the Panthers, who even before the trade led the league in offense and are scoring at a historical pace. Giroux was Philadelphia's captain for a decade and will also bring solid leadership, which always helps.

The two-month grind to try to win the Stanley Cup is the hardest post-season in sports.

More D

It was devastating to see Aaron Ekblad down on the ice crawling to the bench last game in Anaheim. Luckily, there are no broken bones or structural damage. The Panthers are hoping Ekblad will be fully ready when the playoffs start six and a half weeks from now.

The team made two trades to get defensemen, one before the injury and one after.

Big Ben Chiarot comes in from Montreal, where he was a big part of their run to the Stanley Cup final last season. Chiarot is a piece on the blueline Florida needed.

Perhaps due to Ekblad's injury, the Panthers made another trade getting Robert Hagg from Buffalo. He is a physical player who will certainly add to the team's depth and be able to fill a regular role until Ekblad comes back.

All In

Over the last 15 months, the Panthers have traded numerous draft picks and prospects. This team has proved it is good enough to win on its way to the playoffs for the second consecutive season and finish the regular season as one of the best teams. The core players that have been in South Florida for a long time deserve every opportunity to have a roster that can win the championship. There is no price too high in future assets to try and win now. Full credit to ownership and the hockey staff for going "all in."