When the NHL season ends, only one team is satisfied with the roster decisions that were made during the previous year. Unlike years past, the Florida Panthers have a very quick turnaround from the last game played until the first major event of the offseason. The Panthers have just 15 days to regroup from a loss in the Stanley Cup Finals to making the 63rd selection of the NHL Draft – barring a trade.
Of course, the front office has been in planning mode for months, not just for the draft, but also for the financial and roster decisions the Eastern Conference champions will need to make to build a team that can duplicate and exceed last year’s accomplishments. General manager Bill Zito has 10 pending free agents – two arbitration eligible restricted free agents and eight unrestricted free agents. Luckily, Zito does not have any marquee players set to hit the market. However, the Panthers have nine players entering the final season of their contracts in 2023-24. Zito has traditionally made his mark on the roster through dynamic trades, shrewd signings, and savvy waiver claims. If this trend continues, the Cats biggest moves this offseason could come from a swap rather than a splashy signing.
Let’s take a look at Florida’s most tradeable assets going into this offseason and the arguments for why Zito should or why he should not consider dealing these particular Panthers.
Brandon Montour • Defenseman
2023-24 Cap Hit: $3.5 million
2023-24 Salary: $775,000 with a $4.475 million signing bonus
Trade Value: Medium
Another key player acquired in a trade from the Buffalo Sabres by Bill Zito, Brandon Montour was plucked from upstate New York for a 2021 third round draft pick at the trade deadline. Rated as one of the worst defensemen in the league at the time by analytic metrics, Montour has come south and completely rewritten the script of his career. The overall statistics in Buffalo over three seasons weren’t as bad as the narrative surrounding his departure, but what Brandon has done in Florida can only be described as an offensive renaissance and his pièce de resistance was the 2022-23 season. After putting up an admirable 41 points in his first 93 games with the Cats, Montour’s game blossomed under Paul Maurice. The speedy and well-conditioned blueliner smashed the franchise record for points by a defenseman this past season. He scored 16 goals, tying Aaron Ekblad’s franchise mark, and assisted on 57 other goals for a gaudy total of 73 points. Montour eventually became the quarterback of the top power play unit and 33 of his points came on the man-advantage. He took a staggering 242 shots on goal and attempted 459 total shots – massive numbers in comparison to the rest of his career. Montour’s knack for scoring big goals continued into the postseason. Brandon had five game-winners in the regular season and scored eight total goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. There is a lot of risk in Montour’s game, but there is no lack of effort or heart. He’s a vocal leader and he’s not afraid to get into the physical mix – evidenced by 107 penalty minutes last year. Montour is arguably the most offensively dynamic defenseman the Panthers have ever had on the ice.
Why the Panthers should trade Montour: After the type of season Montour just had, the question arises – can he do it again? Brandon doesn’t need to keep breaking records, but is he now a 50 or 60-point player? Or does he regress back to a mid-30s point producer in a year or two?
There is no doubt that Montour’s value is as high as it has ever been. Zito could try to capitalize on his momentum and move his contract for a haul. $3.5 million added back to the pool would help the Panthers find a replacement on the right side and the overall depth of the club. Florida does have Michael Benning in the wings, who appears to be highly thought of by the organization and plays a similar style of game. Santtu Kinnunen is another offensive-minded defenseman that has a lot of professional experience and may be close to jumping to the NHL at age 24.
If the Panthers nurse Montour back to health, but are out of the race by the deadline, he represents another asset that could bring back a very good return. His low cap number would make him tradeable to just about anybody and the fact that he’s only getting paid $775,000 after his signing bonus makes him a remarkably cheap acquisition when it comes to real dollars. Those are strong motivating factors for general managers at the deadline, so if he’s unsigned in February of 2024, look for his name to be a in the rumor mill a lot.
Why the Panthers should hold onto Montour: He played huge minutes during the season and the playoffs and paid the price with a torn labrum that will likely cause him to miss some time in 2023-24. From an organizational point of view, that injury significantly lowers his trade value, but also may hinder the negotiation stance of Montour’s camp. Might he take the security of a $5-$6 million extension at four or five years after coming off of surgery? Or does he want to bet on himself and go for broke in free agency next summer?
Either way, the Panthers are probably in a wait-and-see mode when it comes to Montour. His trade value will take a substantial hit over the summer as he recovers from injury. In fact, it probably ensures he isn’t moved in the hot months. If he’s still unsigned by the time he returns to health, Florida could also use him as a valuable trade chip at the deadline that would almost certainly provide a far better return than the third round pick it cost to acquire him.
But, the Cats should also consider keeping Montour for his play and place in the locker room. Despite toiling for two other franchises, he crossed the 300 game threshold as a Panther. His offensive game exploded and he has the physical traits of a prize stallion. Montour’s speed and shot can’t be taught. His positional awareness and overall defense improved in two different systems in Florida compared to his time in Anaheim or Buffalo. Brandon appears to be on the upswing at age 28 and this season might not have just been a flash in the pan, but the start of a prolific period in his prime. The man scored eight goals as a defensemen in the playoffs. He earned warrior status and those are the guys you want (and need) to lift the Cup.
Prediction: Montour really might have been dangled if he wasn’t going to be on the shelf for 4-6 months recovering from a torn labrum, but I think that injury removes him from any trade consideration – if there ever was any from Bill Zito. For the organization, the injury might also take a little bit of steam out of Montour’s negotiation position. I think Brandon remains a Panther in 2023-24 and we very well could see an extension at some point in the near future. He’s in his prime and performed like a true No. 1 defenseman this season with some of the best offensive numbers at his position in the league. He deserves Norris Trophy votes. Like Sam Reinhart, I think he’s another guy that is part of the solution.