NHL Rumors: Florida Panthers willing to listen to offers for Mark Pysyk
The latest NHL rumors surrounding the Florida Panthers involve defenseman Mark Pysyk. They’re willing to entertain offers for him.
The Florida Panthers haven’t had much go their way during the 2018-19 season. They entered the season with high hopes thanks to a near miracle run to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which fell just short. However, the Panthers haven’t lived up to expectations and, as of Jan. 17, are in the midst of a seven-game losing streak. According to the latest NHL rumors, they’re ready for some changes.
In Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column, he mentioned the Panthers as intriguing sellers. Specifically, he mentioned two defensemen – Bogdan Kiselevich and Mark Pysyk. The latter is the more experienced one, so he’s the more intriguing name.
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Pysyk would be more than a rental, as he has one year left on his deal after the 2018-19 season. This means the Panthers should expect a very nice return for him. In three years with Florida, he has played in 198 games, putting up seven goals and 31 assists for 38 points.
To say Pysyk is having a down year would be an understatement. He only has five points and his possession numbers are down across the board. The latter has been a trend over the last four seasons, so it’s nothing new.
However, Pysyk is a reliable defenseman who, if given a more offensively inclined partner, might fit on a contender’s second pairing. He has a similar skill set as Michal Kempny, who helped the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup last season. Pysyk is also good at staying out of the penalty box, as he has just 38 penalty minutes in over 3,500 minutes since joining the Panthers.
His very reasonable cap hit of $2.73 million could be enticing for a contender looking for a low-cost upgrade on defense. The market for defensemen isn’t that great, so Pysyk could be one of the better names available at the trade deadline.
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Potential Fits
Pysyk is a capable right-handed defenseman with a pulse. Ergo, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers are probably interested in him. The Calgary Flames could use someone like Pysyk to help shore up their third pairing, which is one of the very few weaknesses they have. But the Panthers would probably have to retain some of his salary to make it work.