Panthers' performance at the Draft: What they're saying

1993. Seriously, last year few years have been ok, but nothing like this one.

Not considering these these guys as irreplaceable by any means, but Repik and Frolik aren’t huge wingers and may have impressed (especially Frolik).

Still, the foundation is being laid with – as you mentioned – the size factor.

I’m not going to call you a jerk… but I am going to tell you to chill out!
While I will agree that he over paid for Campbell, he was an already proven player who was showing signs of being a potential franchise D-man. As opposed to someone like Rusty who will be getting like 4mil a year based solely on his potential, which he has yet to even come close to.
I also happen to think the Hossa deal is great at just over 5mil a year. He averages just under a point a game (51 points in 57 games this year), and he is a proven all star who has played in 3 consecutive stanley cups and WINNING one in his first year in Chicago.

As for him not bringing in any big names to Florida, Free Agency hasn’t even started!

It’s not that Dale Tallon can do no wrong, and that everyone thinks he’s a hockey genius or a godlike-GM. However, there is substantial evidence (Hawks win the Cup) that he knows what he’s doing and is a good judge of talent. The moves he made indeed shed salary, but it was the salary of players who haven’t gotten the type of results the organization and the fans desire: a truly competitive team and a playoff spot. Making cap space is a clear sign that some free agency acquisitions are lined up next.

Would Randy Sexton have done the same job as Tallon? Who knows. He’s not the GM anymore, so I don’t see why it matters. Sexton did a good job while he was in Florida, acquiring more picks for the Cats to either use or move to acquire more picks or players. I never ripped him for any reason; I thought he was twice the GM Jacques Martin was.

Colt1235 said it best: the Panthers do not win games. They don’t field a competitive team year after year, and the constant turnover at the top of the organization is mostly to blame. This team has been through more rebuilding processes than a major interstate highway, and we’re all sick of it. I think Tallon brings a stability and a recognition where this team needs it most: the top of the organizational ladder. Pete DeBoer is a fantastic coach who will succeed at an NHL level at some point in his career, and I hope he stays in Florida to do it.

The bottom line is that this team stank last year, and moving players who clearly either don’t want to play here, or were a liability at times last year really isn’t going to hurt a team who is already expected to do nothing.

Let the rebuilding begin again.

This team has NOT made a trade that anyone can say we got the best of since Luongo and we screwed that up.

Trades involving players? Bertuzzi for Matthias. Salei for Skrastins (and pick: Comrie). Jokinen for Ballard, Boynton. Van Ryn for McCabe. Stefan Meyer for Steven Reinprecht’s rights. Bouwmeester’s rights for Leopold’s rights (and pick: Birkholz). Seids and Bartkowski for Bitz, Weller (and pick: Petrovic).

Jury’s out on Ballard deal (though losing his salary was prime) since we have yet to see Grabner in a new setting, but the pick ultimately yielded Bjugstad. Bernier is Bernier.

Horton/RFA Campbell for Wideman and pick (again, after subsequent deals, Bjugstad) was a deal that had to be made. Horts had to go and Soup wan’t going to be resigned.

This isn’t a hit job – I love the banter – just a few that struck me as “good deals” since Luongo/Martin era ended.

I don’t see why everyone keeps bringing up Brian Campbell. Truth is, he was the only top-pair defenseman UFA that year and GMs were lining up to overpay him. Tallon is simply the one who offered the best combination of pay, location and desirability in an up-and-coming young team.

As for Huet, if you go for it, you make a few mistakes. You can be a conservative GM and hope not to make mistakes. And if you like that philosophy, then I guess you must have loved JM the GM.

I firmly believe Tallon’s philosophy does not include employing “journeymen”. That is what he is ridding this franchise of.

The club has been a collection of journeymen sprinkled with talent for seven years.

Yes, and? I believe the concept all along has been building a team to be competitive in the next few years. It takes time to turn the Titanic around. You don’t rebuild in a season. It took a few seasons of being in the league basement before the Penguins and Blackhawks starting getting near championships. The only team I can think of that’s had a quick rebound is the Flyers, but that’s because they got caught with a bunch of old slow players after the lockout but had a good young core coming up through the minors already.

I don’t know why so many people expects the team magically to compete for the Cup next year. That’s not how it works. It takes time to build a winner. We’re not building for “now.” We’ve done that and it didn’t work.

Louie has faced the wrath of Vancouver fans right now. Bouwmeester is priming the pump for a regime change in Calgary. Jokinen’s stock is worth just a tick north of zero. Horton was drummed out of FLA by the guy who built the current league Champs.

On the plus(!) side, the Cats got – collectively – market value or better for each. Again, collectively.

Weiss is The Man, and protected by management. If he fails to live up to whatever standards the Tallon Administration sets for him, he’ll be a goner too. Keep in mind, factors working against him are his size (5-11, 185 lbs) and related lack of strength in crowding the crease. But Tallon likes him for more than that.

Paraphrasing Scott Luce at the conclusion of round two (more or less): we don’t pick a name out of the air; a candidate must have a certain number of positive attributes…to give our club what it needs: size (or use of it), strength, character.

That being the case, Weisser’s batting .333, but he can improve on the other areas. Character, however, is either inherent or it isn’t.

I don’t know, I’d like to think that the post was lacking positivity rather than full of negativity.

I still say if Sexton had made those two trades—you guys would be all upset. But since it’s Tallon and he’s got a so called plan then it’s ok (show me).

By you saying that, is ignorant. You are stating that we can’t see the forest through the trees. TRUST me, if we didn’t like the trade, we would state it, regardless of who made the trade. We aren’t so blinded by Tallon’s “greatness”. I liked Horton, but glad he is gone….lazy player that didn’t want to be here. Ballard I will miss but we got a good return. I had no problem with Sexton or the trades he made….even if I liked the player (ie Seidenberg), but got something decent for him.

How about 2003? Anaheim picked Ryan Getzlaf at 19. The Flyers picked some guy named Mike Richards at 24, but you’ve probably never heard of him. The Panthers picked Anthony Stewart at 25 that year so maybe you have a point. But the bigger one is that they passed up both Corey Perry and Patrick Eaves who went at 28 and 29.

uhh, you just picked one player who didn’t live up to his potential and made it seem like there is nothing to be had in 25 years of history.

I can probably pick 3-5 players out of any of those drafts who have either began to make contributions or are already solidified players in this league.

starting with 2006 so we have some developing time,
2006:

1. Chris Stewart
2. Claude Giroux
3. Semyon Varlamov
4. Patrik Berglund

2005:

1. Martin Hanzal
2. Kenndal Mcardel
3. Tuuka Rask
4. Niclas Bergfors
5. TJ Oshie
6. Andrew Cogliano

2004

1. Travis Zajac
2. Wojtek Wolski
3. Andrej Meszaros
4. Rob Schremp

2003

1. Zac Parise
2. Eric Fehr
3. Ryan Getzlaf
4. Brent Burns
5. Mark Stuart
6. Marc Poullot
7. Ryan Kesler
8. Mike Richards
9. Anthony Stewart.

I CANT DO THIS ANYMORE. MY BRAIN IS GOING TO EXPLODE WITH ALL OF THIS TALENT!

….you are putting words in our mouth, stating that had Sexton been the one to make those acquisitions, we would have crucified him, but since it was Tallon we are think he can’t do no wrong…..that is just insulting. You can state all you want that YOU don’t like the trades for whatever reason, but DON’T tell us that we are only rah-rahing because it was Tallon & not Sexton.

We don’t have blinders on. Maybe those of us like the trades for what they are and NOT because of who made them.

Thank you

Yeah, you’re right. I haven’t been a Panthers fan since 1993. I’m a Flyers fan who moved here more recently, and more importantly a hockey fan who keeps tabs on the whole league and watches all of the teams play. So, I have a slightly wider perspective than fans in Florida who only started watching hockey in 1993 three and only pay attention to this team.

Drafting is a crapshoot for every team. And the truth is that the teams with the best development do the best long term. It’s not just the talent and potential of the individual players but the stability and ability of the farm teams to instill the systems, work ethic and hockey knowledge in the players. If the farm system is a disaster and players are forced to play with the big club before they’re ready than you end up with promising, talented players like Horton and Jay Bo who end up disappointing.

Anyway, you can think what you want, but as soon as you tell us what we think, we’re going to call BS on you.

“…up in Boston the talk shows are having a field day with how much the Panthers got screwed by giving up their best scoring winger for Wideman who had one of the worst plus/minus of any defenseman in the NHL and was booed with no mercy over the last two months of the season.”

“A lot of people in Canada and in places where hockey actually matters don’t think that the Panthers should even have a franchise… I do!!

My advice? Stop listening to Boston-area “sports” shows. They haven’t watched Horts on a nightly basis. Many of us hope he does well and fourishes; many others hope he continues on his path. In any case, he’s gone.

As for those “in Canada…where hockey…matters”: so what? We’ve got a franchise. Have for a long while, and will continue to because of dedicated ownership, a proven manager, an iron-clad lease, and a fanbase just waiting to explode – positively, this time – at the onset of a winner.

If I’m wrong please explain why. Don’t want the rose-colored glasses to get in the way when Trek II comes out in 2012.

I suggest you look at the history who was taken in the 1st round at spots # 19 and #25 over the history of the past 15-20 years and see if there is any decent players.

like I said, I picked between 4 and 9 players from a three year sample size (was only limited to three years because I had to leave for class) that were drafted between the 17th pick and 25th pick just to how you that the success rate between those picks is rather high. 2003 being an excellent example of players with the chance to develop (and possibly just being a very deep draft).

You may not agree with either of the trades but in reality, He fills 2 (or 3 if Grabner is ready) roster spots this year with them and sets up for a potentially very bright future with the two additional first and third rounders. Horton already said that he didnt want to be here and Ballard was dealt because he was the player who we could get the most in return for (that isn’t Kulikov/anyone they feel is key to our future success).

Also, those people in Canada still think we play in Miami.

TOS violation; zero tolerance.