Tonight, in normal circumstances, the Florida Panthers would have played the Washington Capitals in what would have the final game of the 2019-20 NHL regular season. Due to the outbreak of covid-19, that won’t happen and we are left to wonder what could have been had the Cats played all 82 games.
Would they have built on the well-played 2-0-1 stint they had going before the league pulled the plug on the season and caught the Toronto Maple Leafs. That would have led to a postseason Sunshine State showdown that many of us have long looked forward to.
Or, would the Panthers have reverted back to the form they displayed during the month of February, when they came back from the all-star break a different team and struggled to a 5-9-2 record to leave themselves behind the eight ball yet again in what has mostly become their yearly custom?
As the days slowly pass, it seems less and less likely there will be a conclusion to this season. And if there is, it will might be one that goes straight to the postseason and that postseason may or may not include the Panthers.
Yesterday, was a quiet around the league, but there was one signing made and it was by a division rival.
The Montreal Canadiens agreed to a one-year, two-way contract with Laurent Dauphin. The contract pays $700,000 at the NHL level and $175,000 in the AHL with a guaranteed salary of $200,000. The 25-year-old forward was acquired from the Nashville Predators on January 7 and suited up for 25 games with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, scoring 15 points. He had 16 points in 33 games with the Milwaukee Admirals before the trade. (Eyes On The Prize)
Jeff Skinner and Jack Eichel will be making contributions to the Buffalo community for the COVID-19 crisis. (Die By The Blade)
New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin is also stepping up in a big way. (Blueshirt Banter)
While the above is a good NYR-related story, this is not. At what point as a species do we move on from this kind of garbage… Rangers, NHL condemn racial slurs in hijacked video (ESPN)