Panthers get respect from - of all places - ESPN

The WorldWideLeader released its annual NHL organizational rankings on Thursday (subscription required), and to our amazement who came out on top?

The Panthers have the most blue-chippers coming down the pipeline, and Jonathan Huberdeau (third overall, 2011) leads a long list of players who will play, and well, at the NHL level.

Yikes...heady stuff from a media outlet which on the surface routinely takes pride in giving pro hockey the short stick in a media world dominated by extreme deathmatch poker and fishing tournaments.

Perhaps it really shouldn't come as much of a surprise, as we've all become rather familiar with the system and each prospect's individual achievements.

It's a nice nod in any case.