Gagne now a divisional neighbor; Panthers remain silent

thats exactly what i said when i saw the trade :)

I dont know. While I don’t think they should freak out and just grab anybody, I don’t see much happening at all. Tank season is coming and you know what, unlike this past season, I’m not gonna be there to watch it happen again. Honestly.. tried of this franchise.

I might be remembering incorrectly, but I think Tallon’s first year in Chicago, they finished 27th in the league? Panic and sign anybody who has a recognizable name sounds like a Martin thing to do (Stumpel, Belfour, Nieuwendyk pop to mind, not sure if they were all Martin doings, but you get the point.)

This team just needs to bite the bullet, fans need to realize that this year will be a struggle, but I have the utmost confidence that a couple seasons from now, we won’t just be talking about qualifying for the playoffs, we’ll be talking about challenging the Caps (and maybe Lightning?) for the division.

Please?

Not sure what this spark is and how it will change things on the ice? I suspect that McCabe , Vokoun and Stillman will be gone at the trade deadline, thus, lowering our payroll another 14 million going forward. If not at the deadline they will be free agents next year. If your a free agent why would you want to come here with the history of the organization. If there is some kind of magical formula that takes you from the outside to a playoff contender every year then every team would be in the playoffs. If this team was to take to the ice as it is right now does anyone hold out hope that they can be even competitive? What kind of attendance will there be come February? While I wish to share the optimism from most of these posts—I just can’ yet—till I see some proof that the team isn’t of the theory that we are losing with a 55 Million payroll we might as well lose with a 35 million payroll.

I just hope the coaching staff treats this year as a rebuild as well. In my opinion the job of the coaching staff is now firstly to develop the team and secondly to finish in a respectable standing. Last year we did neither.
I don’t see the excuse to not play Repik, Matthias, Grabner, Kulikov and maybe Ellerby. They cant play defense? Try teaching them.
As far as not being ready for the nhl, some guys flourish at the prospect of a challenge, maybe thats what Matthias needs. Repik and Grabner are certainly ready. Kulikov needs loads of work but at least now he can handle the league, we should start to see what he’s capable of this year.
It’s a tank season, we all know it, if we’re to get anything out of it then the balls in Petes court, and he certainly dropped the ball last year.

Donny, I’m glad that you have people on the “inside” who think this thing will turn around. I sure hope they are right. I truly do want this to turn around also. Been tough rooting for a team that seams to be drifting into nowheres ville. But, despite my negative attitude(the losing wears on you after a while) I agree that many of these kids need and have to step up and show they are NHL players. But, I do think they need a few guys in the locker room who know what it is like to be in the playoffs and can relate to some of the kids. Hard to believe that Stephen Weiss is one of the elders on the team. I think it wouldn’t hurt to get a few goon type guys on this squad to help protect the younger skilled guys. But, De Boer seems to want to stay away from that kind of play. But if Tallon states that he wants for this to be a tough place for a visiting team he may need to change.

Keeping the team young would be best right now. why overpay? Let’s not forget that Gagne gets hurt all the time. Maybe things will be different for him in Tampa Bay. But we will see.

I agree about the Panthers needing more physical players on this team. I would like to see the Panthers pick up a good enforcer or maybe a couple. Preferably some who have some speed. Too bad that they did not keep Tarnasky.

I dont think that we should count the Panthers out yet. Let’s not forget that the Avalanche were suppose to tank last season. Yet, they made the playoffs. Considering the abundance of goalies in this league, I think that Vokoun will be resigned with Florida in mid season on a three year deal. Clemmenson will be dealt once Markstrom is ready. I just dont see the Panther being able to trade Vokoun at the deadline with his current salary. If this was two years ago, he would have been dealt with no problems. Times and a possible lower salary cap in the future have changed the climate.

Panthers need to stay the course. A good example of building from within would be Los Angeles. While they almost signed Kovalchuk, they refused to overpay for his services and sacrifice the kids they have coming due for new contracts. While not out of the playoffs as long as the Panthers, they have stuck to a singular direction since prior to the lockout, and it was building with youth. Starting in ’05 with Kopitar, they have drafted 11, 11 and 17, 4, 2, and 5 before making the playoffs again this year. But they have not flip flopped direction with bad managerial decisions like the Panthers have since Cohen took over as ownership.

If the Panthers are going to fill their roster out, they need to do it with contracts similar to Higgins. Single year contracts with guys needing a second chance, while this team rebuilds. Do they need an enforcer? No, but they need guys who can put the puck in the net and skate with the top players in the league. Not the Tarnasky’s or Belak’s of the league, whose only purpose is to fight as they can’t skate and can’t play a defensive role.

I’ve been sick of this ownership and management since the lockout began, but for the first time in six years, I have hope, regardless of the PR the team puts out. My views of Tallon as a franchise builder are still in doubt as I think a lot of the credit he gets belongs to the guys he surrounded him with. But a good manager’s first duty is to surround himself with quality people he can delegate responsibility to, that get the job done, while he’s out playing golf.