4 Big Questions for the Florida Panthers in 2020-21
There are four big questions the Florida Panthers will need to answer in 2020-21.
We continue to go along with our 2020-21 NHL Season Previews. After taking a look at the Edmonton Oilers, we will now analyze the Florida Panthers.
It was a disappointing 2019-20 season for Florida as they had huge expectations with the additions that former GM Dale Tallon made. The free agent signings, including Sergei Bobrovsky, didn’t seem to help the Panthers get to an elite level. They made the Stanley Cup Qualifying Round before being eliminated by the Islanders in four games.
What followed was Tallon getting fired and former Columbus assistant Bill Zito stepping in as the team’s new general manager. The front office signed a few free agents but made the crazy decision to not bring back Evgenii Dadonov and Mike Hoffman.
With a team that has more holes on the roster than before, there is some uncertainty about this team. Many people are skeptical as to how the Panthers will make the playoffs. Without delaying any longer, let’s talk about the four biggest questions facing the Florida Panthers heading into the 2020-21 season.
4. Can Sergei Bobrovsky get back to an elite level?
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Florida made the biggest splash last offseason by acquiring superstar goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. There were huge expectations, but they ultimately weren’t fulfilled. Bobrovsky had a hard time throughout his first year in Sunrise. For the Russian netminder, his numbers are still hard to look at. For the 2019-20 season, Sergei just averaged a .900 save percentage and had a goals-against average of 3.23. He allowed 151 shots to get past him.
It is even more alarming that backup goalie Chris Driedger, who had previously had only three games of NHL experience before last season, outperformed him. There is no doubt that Bobrovsky disappointed plenty. There is no question that he has to be better for the Panthers to improve. While most of his play was directly on him, most of it wasn’t. Being that this is his second season now in Florida, he should be used to his surroundings by now, and many if not everyone is expecting him to get back to his Vezina Trophy level of performance.
If he doesn’t, his job could be on the line, especially when Spencer Knight is getting closer to being an NHL regular. The Panthers have had one of the worst defenses in the NHL for the last handful of seasons, which is a reason as to why Bobrovsky had a tough time in his first year. This leads us to the next question that the Panthers need to answer.
3. Is the defense finally at the caliber of a playoff team?
When thinking about the current Florida Panthers, you think explosive offense. The defense is out of the question. Quite frankly, this has been the Achilles’ heel of the team ever since their 2016-17 season, which was a disappointing follow-up to their greatest season in franchise history. Last season, the team didn’t even know what defense was. It was bar-none one of the worst in the league. They ranked 28th in goals against and 20th on the penalty kill. Keith Yandle doesn’t play well in his own zone.
It was also more of an issue when playing on the top pairing with Aaron Ekblad. Having him with Ekblad, the teams’ best player on that side of the puck was a recipe for disaster. And that proved to be the story when they were together. Their own individual play style didn’t really match, and they seemed confused on the ice at times.
When Mackenzie Weegar moved up with Ekblad to the top pairing, they both helped each other get better and played well as a unit. The Panthers also had Mike Matheson, who has plenty of flaws. Turning the puck over in your own zone, not knowing defensive assignments, not having the ability to play physically, and taking stupid penalties are not qualities that a player wants to have. The team also had some youngsters who hadn’t had much experience at the NHL level, such as Riley Stillman.
New General Manager Bill Zito tried his best to improve the weakest part of the team by signing veteran Radko Gudas in free agency as well as trading for Markus Nutivaara from Columbus. Those are guys that are going to beef the defense up. Especially Gudas, which brings the physicality that they need. Add them in with the emerging Weegar as well as a decent veteran in Anton Stralman, and they should be better. But we won’t know until the season gets going soon.
2. How much will the departures of Evgenii Dadonov and Mike Hoffman hurt?
It is no secret that Evgenii Dadonov and Mike Hoffman were two of the Panthers’ biggest offensive weapons. Dadonov meshed very well with Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau on the top line for the three seasons in Florida. From 2017-18 to 2019-20, the Russian winger tacked on 81 goals and 101 assists for a total of 182 points. As for Hoffman, he totaled 65 goals and 64 assists in his two years with Florida. More importantly, they both revived a struggling power play unit that was at the bottom of the league in 2016-17, in which they ranked 24th.
With Hoffman in the lineup during his two years, Florida saw the power play skyrocket. In 2018-19, the Panthers ranked 2nd in the league for power play percentage, and the next season they ranked 10th. Hoffman was their “ace” on the power play with his useful and powerful slap shot. Dadonov was also useful when put on the power play. However, what is really important to note is that he helped Huberdeau and Barkov grow to an elite level since he first arrived.
Now since both are not there, how does the rest of the team respond? GM Bill Zito traded for Patric Hornqvist; however, he is now 34-years-old. He should still have some juice left in the tank; however, it can’t be expected that he will put up more than 20 goals this season – if he even reaches 20 in the first place. If I’m putting a prediction, I would say 15 goals at the maximum. Zito also just recently signed Anthony Duclair from Ottawa to a cheap contract. He will most likely fill in for Dadonov on the top line, but there is still a question for me here.
Was Duclair’s production last year just empty stats? I think it is a good question to ask considering how bad the Senators have been, especially last season. He scored just over 20 goals, which allowed him to be an All-Star, but that has to be speculated and is a consideration. Was that season him showing growth as an overall player? We really don’t know how much worse the offense got here, but they still have Barkov and Huberdeau. I think that side of the puck will still be productive but not as lethal as it was before. The only other two candidates I can see who can pick up the slack involves two up and coming prospects.
1. Can Grigori Denisenko and Owen Tippett make the roster?
The Florida Panthers are most likely going to have at least Owen Tippett garnering top-six minutes. Tippett was a First-Round Draft pick in 2017 and has shown some promise at the NHL level, including getting his first-ever goal during his seven-game stint a few years ago. He also scored two goals during the recent intrasquad scrimmage this week. Tippett first burst onto the scene with the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL, scoring over 70 points in 2016-17. He continued to put up big-time numbers in Mississauga and with the Saginaw Spirit during his OHL tenure. He moved on to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL and had a productive season.
In 2019-20 he scored 19 goals and tallied 21 assists for 40 points in 46 games. He has good speed and a nice scoring touch. The nice thing about Tippett is that he can be dangerous anywhere when in the offensive zone. As for Grigori Denisenko, he has good skating ability, and he can also put the puck in the net. He has played in the KHL for the last few seasons with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Just last season, he played in 38 games and scored six goals and six assists for 12 points.
He hasn’t put up huge numbers as a KHL regular, but him playing in that league is a huge accomplishment for an 18-to-19-year-old. Those numbers are usually pretty good in my mind for a youngster playing in the second-best hockey league in the world. Since gaining a good amount of experience in a situation that is extremely challenging, you would expect him to get better. It is possible that Denisenko could not even make the lineup come opening night, but if he does, he could contribute a bit to the offense. He is still slowly developing his game, but there is no doubt he should get some playing time this season. You would see him most likely on the third line, and Tippett could be on the second line playing with Alexander Wennberg and Frank Vatrano or Patric Hornqvist.
Next. 4 Big Questions for the Edmonton Oilers in 2020-21. dark
The Florida Panthers have tons of veterans around them, so I wouldn’t expect them to crumble under pressure in the NHL. It’s possible that they can find their footing and help keep the offense at a steady pace.