Bill Zito, Florida Panthers front office top list gauging fan confidence

In the realm of South Florida professional sports, the local teams have watched Pat Riley and the Miami Heat operate over the years with envious eyes.

Extended, sustained success over the course of several decades.

The Miami Dolphins haven’t had that since the previous millennium came to a close. The Miami Marlins have never had it.

Neither had the Florida Panthers…until they hired Bill Zito.

Florida’s current general manager has built a front office and hockey team that transformed the Panthers from a franchise mired in mediocrity to one that is now a yearly title contender full of high-character people that is built to continue succeeding for the extended future.

Oh, and also a Stanley Cup Champion.

It’s been an incredible, remarkable turnaround that has seen Zito named a finalist for the Jim Gregor General Manager of the Year award in three of his four seasons with Florida.

Not bad for a first-time GM, eh?

For all those reasons and many more, it comes as no surprise that Zito and the Panthers topped The Athletic’s annual NHL front office confidence rankings.

An explanation comes in the post’s first line, written by Dom Luszczyszyn:

“Every summer we ask one simple question: How confident are you in your team’s front office?”

The answer from Panthers fans came loud and clear: VERY!

Year after year, Zito and his staff have made trades and signings that have only made the team better and more formidable.

Now that they’ve won the franchise’s first Stanley Cup, the question now is where will they go from here?

“There is simply no better-managed team in hockey than the Florida Panthers and that’s become clear as day after their meticulous process resulted in hockey’s ultimate prize this summer,” wrote Luszczyszyn. “Everything the Panthers seem to touch turns into gold. Whether it’s a trade, a signing or an extension — it feels like they’re operating on an entirely different level from other teams.”

No arguments here.

Florida will begin its title defense in almost exactly two months.

We’ll see how Zito and his staff manage the new challenges that arise, but it’s clear they have all the faith of the fanbase.