FLORIDA PANTHERS
Teams that are way out of playoff range for years on end usually play the prospect card. Handsome teenagers are pushed into the spotlight, in the hope that tomorrow’s promise can help sell today’s tickets. In time, of course, the bright young things grow up, and potential collides with reality. All that matters is, can they play? Right now?
So it is in Florida, where Roberto Luongo, Olli Jokinen and Jay Bouwmeester (an instant success) are coming along very nicely. Inevitably, there are others – Denis Shvidki, Ivan Novoseltsev, Niklas Hagman – for whom early expectations turned out to be wildly optimistic. The team is already promoting another crop, led by Nathan Horton, a strapping center picked up in the latest entry draft. But paltry attendance suggests Floridians are tired of waiting for tomorrow.
Looking to give the future a nudge, the Panthers have scoured the NHL for spare parts, coming up with veterans like Lyle Odelein and Eric Messier. But the best addition will likely be another defenseman, Mike Van Ryn, who lost his way last year after a promising rookie season in St. Louis. The Panthers’ defense could sure use the help. Florida gave up the most shots in the NHL last season. There is no doubting Luongo’s mettle.
Up front, it’s hard to expect more than minimal improvement. Jokinen, Viktor Kozlov and Kristian Huselius can score 70-80 goals between them. But going into training camp, many forward jobs were wide open on what remains one of the lowest-scoring teams in the NHL.
The Panthers can point to last season’s 10-point improvement as a sign that team construction is right on schedule. When you see Bouwmeester or Luongo on a good night, it’s easy to believe so. But Florida will be sellng the future for at least a couple more years.
Trouble: Too many young forwards are still riding on reputations earned in junior hockey, while veterans like Jonas Hoglund and Valeri Bure would have trouble winning a job anywhere else.
On the Spot: Huselius, with 43 goals in two NHL seasons, is expected to take the next step.
The Forecast: Still prone to the volatility of NHL puberty, the Panthers should show progress in fits and starts.
The Call: 14th in the Eastern Conference.
Who's in:
Defenseman Lyle Odelein (free agent from Dallas)
Defenseman Todd Gill (free agent from Chicago)
Left winger/Defenseman Eric Messier (trade from Colorado)
Left winger Jonas Hoglund (free agent from Toronto)
Left winger Craig MacDonald (free agent from Carolina)
Right winger Valeri Bure (waivers from St. Louis)
Center Vaclav Nedorost (trade from Colorado)
Forward Mikael Samuelsson (trade from Pittsburgh)
Assistant coach Mike Pelino
Who’s Out:
Defenseman Ivan Majesky (trade to Atlanta)
Defenseman Jamie Rivers (free agent to Detroit)
Defenseman Pascal Trepanier (free agent to Tampa Bay)
Defenseman Igor Kravchuk (unsigned free agent)
Left winger Peter Worrell (trade to Colorado)
Left winger Stephane Matteau (unsigned free agent)
Forward Pierre Dagenais (free agent to Montreal)
2002-03 Regular Season Numbers:
Payroll:
$32,743,000, 20th overall
(Hockey News, November 15/02. Bonuses not included.)
- Record: 24-36-13-9 for 70 points.
- At home: 8-21-7-5.
- On the road: 16-15-6-4.
- Finish: 27th overall, 13th in the Eastern Conference, 4th in the Southeast Division.
- Goals for: 176 (2.15 per game), 29th overall.
- Goals against: 237 (2.89 per game), tied for 24th overall.
- Goal differential: Minus-61, 28th overall.
- Power play: 14.1 percent, 24th overall.
- Penalty kill: 81.5 percent, 26th overall.
Goaltending:
- Roberto Luongo, 69-20-34-7, 2.71 GAA, .918 SV PCT, 6 SO.
- Jani Hurne, 28-4-11-6, 2.88 GAA, .907 SV PCT, 1 SO.
Leaders:
- Scoring: Center Olli Jokinen, 81-36-29-65.
- Power play points: Olli Jokinen, 81-13-11-24.
- Game-winning goals: Olli Jokinen, 6.
- Ice time: Center Viktor Kozlov, 22:35 per game.
- Plus/minus: Defenseman Andreas Lilja, plus-13.
