In the quest to capture back-to-back Stanley Cup championships come spring, general manager Bill Zito is looking to make the roster even better ahead of the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline, Sportsnet hockey insider Elliotte Friedman reported.
Specifically, the team is looking to add a right-shot defenseman ahead of the stretch run, Friedman said on the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast. The blue line just doesn’t look quite the same without Brandon Montour, who signed a long-term deal with the Seattle Kraken over the summer.
Although the Panthers currently have just under $2 million in cap space to work with, the front office “will continue to accrue more space between now and deadline day and if management can add a blueliner to the roster, that still seems to be a priority for the club,” The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta confirmed.
“It certainly seems like that’s what Bill Zito would like to do with his group. Looking around, seeing what kind of bargain type deals that can work and fit,” Pagnotta said back in January. “He’s done it in the past. He’s looking for special deals, cap friendly deals that fit for his group.”
Florida boasts one of the league’s best offensive units, with proven stars in Matthew Tkachuk, Sasha Barkov, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe, along with a strong supporting cast. The goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky — especially in the playoffs — also remains elite.
But after Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad, there is a significant drop off in defensive talent. Dmitry Kulikov and Niko Mikkola were both brought to Sunrise to play on the third pair last year — and the champions have been solid for the club — but the two now make up the second pair.
If the Panthers can get another effective defenseman, they’ll be well-positioned to make another deep Stanley Cup run in a couple of months time. That’s especially true the way the group has been playing as of late.
Panthers back to winning ways after delayed Stanley Cup hangover
Now 32-19-3 after securing four of a possible four points over a weekend back-to-back set against the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders, the Panthers have a three-point cushion on the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs at the top of the division.
This just looks like a completely different Florida team than the one from the end of December, which was struggling mightily to score goals. Over their last eight games, a rejuvenated roster has managed 31 of them.
A fantastic test awaits against the East-leading Washington Capitals on Tuesday night, who lead the Panthers by eight points with two games in hand at the top of the conference.
The New Year has been very kind to the Cats, and they’ll look to keep the positive momentum alive in their final three games before the 13-day 4 Nations Face-Off break.
After travelling to the nation’s capital on Tuesday, the Panthers will head to St. Louis to face the Blues on Thursday before welcoming the red-hot Ottawa Senators to Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday night.