Anton Stralman

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What is the Panthers’ long-term outlook?

By Adam GretzApr 6, 2020, 5:04 PM EDT

With the 2019-20 NHL season on hold we are going to review where each NHL team stands at this moment until the season resumes. Here we take a look at the long-term outlook for the Florida Panthers

Pending Free Agents

The Core

Everything about this team in the immediate future is going to be built around the forward duo of Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau.

They are two of the best and most productive players in the league, while Barkov has developed into one of the NHL’s most complete two-way centers. Barkov is signed for two more seasons after this one, while Huberdeau is locked in for another three. They have matching salary cap hits of $5.9 million per season.

Beyond them, the core gets a little cloudier because all of their long-term investments come with some pretty significant risks.

Starting goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is signed for another six seasons at a salary cap hit of $10 million per season. They are going to need him to be significantly better than he has been so far if there is any chance of him playing out the remainder of that deal in Florida.

In front of him they have invested heavily in their defense with Aaron Ekblad, Keith Yandle, Anton Stralman, and Mike Matheson all signed for at least the next two seasons, while Ekblad, Yandle, and Matheson go for at least the next three years. Ekblad and Matheson are both signed for the next five. They have a ton of money invested in that quartet, but they haven’t really received a great return on that investment at this point.

Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov, two of their best forwards, are unsigned beyond this season and eligible for unrestricted free agency. If they can not re-sign one — or both — that would be a significant amount of offense going out the door.

Long-Term Needs

Even though the Panthers have made a huge long-term financial investment in their defense and goaltending, they are still one of the worst defensive teams in the league right now.

Ekblad and Yandle are a solid duo at the top, and maybe even a little underrated. Ekblad’s status as a former No. 1 overall pick definitely raises the expectations around him, but he has been an extremely productive player offensively and shown improvement in his all-around game. He may not win the Norris Trophy, but he’s a good player.

But once you get beyond that top duo there are a lot of flaws and question marks with the defense as a whole, and not a lot of immediate help on the horizon to help fix it. That is one of the things that made the in-season trade of Vincent Trocheck so confusing. It was a deal that did not need to be made, and they did not even use it to address their biggest flaw.

They could also be looking at a depth issue at forward if they can not get Hoffman and Dadonov re-signed.

Long-Term Strengths

The biggest strength for the Panthers is probably the simple fact they not only have two elite players in Barkov and Huberdeau, but that they have them both signed for multiple seasons at a combined salary cap hit of less than $11 million per season. They are exceptional bargains against the cap, they are both elite players, and they are both in the middle of their prime years in the NHL. Having that sort of situation at the top of the lineup should be a massive advantage for a front office to work with. Those are the hardest players to find (the elite, game-changers on offense) and they tend to cost the most money. The Panthers not only already have them in place, they have them for far less than they should ordinarily cost. That is a gift and a bonus you do not want to waste.

It also might seem weird saying this given how much Bobrovsky struggled in his debut season with the team, but they do seem to have a lot of goaltending options in the short-and long-term.

Even if Bobrovsky’s contract turns into a problem in a few years, he should be better than he was this season and at least give them a few seasons of high level play. Chris Driedger has also been a pleasant surprise in net this season and could settle in as a nice back-up option, while they also have one of the top goaltending prospects in the league in Spencer Knight after using a top-15 pick on him in the draft a year ago.

They also have one of the NHL’s best coaches in Joel Quenneville.

• Looking at the 2019-20 Florida Panthers
• Panthers’ surprises and disappointments

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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.

WATCH LIVE: Flyers visit Panthers on NBCSN

By Sean LeahyFeb 13, 2020, 6:00 PM EST

NBCSN’s coverage of the 2019-20 NHL season continues with Thursday’s matchup between the Philadelphia Flyers and Florida Panthers. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN. You can watch the game online and on the NBC Sports app by clicking here.

In their game on Monday night, MacKenzie Weegar put the Panthers ahead 1-0 just over three minutes into the first period. The Flyers then scored four straight goals to win 4-1. James van Riemsdyk had a goal and assist in the win.

Philadelphia currently sits in the second Wild Card spot in the East and are three points behind the Islanders, who sit in third place in the Metro. Florida sits two points behind Toronto for third place in the Atlantic, while the Panthers have a game in hand on the Maple Leafs. They are three points behind the Flyers for the second Wild Card in the East.

After a quick trip to Florida, the Flyers have a home-and-home against the Blue Jackets, who currently sit just one point above Philadelphia in the Metropolitan Division. This is the second of a three-game road trip for the Flyers. The Flyers have earned points in five of their last six on the road (3-1-2), but are coming off a loss in Brooklyn against the Islanders.

Playing with eight defensemen at New Jersey on Tuesday, the Panthers fourth line consisted of center Noel Acciari and two defensemen, Mark Pysyk and Mike Matheson. The makeshift line combined for nine points in the win, as all three players put up three-point nights (1G-2A each). Matheson, who is in the second year of an eight-year contract, played forward for the first time this season after being a healthy scratch in Florida’s previous game (4-1 loss at Philadelphia on Monday).

[COVERAGE BEGINS AT 6 P.M. ET ON NBCSN]

WHAT: Philadelphia Flyers at Florida Panthers
WHERE: BB&T Center
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 13, 6 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN
LIVE STREAM: You can watch the Flyers-Panthers stream on NBC Sports’ live stream page and the NBC Sports app.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

FLYERS
Claude Giroux – Sean Couturier – Jakub Voracek
Joel Farabee – Kevin Hayes – Travis Konecny
James van Riemsdyk – Scott Laughton – Tyler Pitlick
Michael Raffl – Connor Bunnaman – Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Ivan Provorov – Matt Niskanen
Travis Sanheim – Philippe Myers
Robert Hagg – Justin Braun

Starting goalie: Carter Hart

PANTHERS
Jonathan Huberdeau – Aleksander Barkov – Evgenii Dadonov
Mike Hoffman – Vincent Trocheck – Brett Connolly
Frank Vatrano – Dominic Toninato – Colton Sceviour
Mike Matheson – Noel Acciari – Mark Pysyk

MacKenzie Weegar – Aaron Ekblad
Riley Stillman – Anton Stralman
Keith Yandle – Josh Brown

Starting goalie: Sergei Bobrovsky

John Forslund will call the action from BB&T Center alongside Pierre McGuire. Paul Burmeister hosts studio coverage alongside analysts Patrick Sharp and Mike Johnson.

Thursday night’s coverage of Capitals-Avalanche will be the second half of an NHL doubleheader on NBCSN, immediately following originally-scheduled coverage of Flyers-Panthers, which begins at 7 p.m. ET. Pre-game coverage at 6 p.m. ET with NHL Live.

Panthers’ Stralman returns to game after being bloodied by puck to head

By James O'BrienDec 24, 2019, 1:18 AM EST

Florida Panthers defenseman Anton Stralman got a real scare when he was bloodied by a puck to the head on Monday. While Stralman managed to brace for the puck a bit by lowering his head so it struck his helmet, it was still a scary scene.

You can witness that scary moment in the video above this post’s headline.

Stralman shrugs off being bloodied

Remarkably, Stralman didn’t need to be hospitalized right after the Lightning’s 6-1 win against Florida on Monday. In fact, Stralman returned to the game.

Muttering “hockey players are tough” can often come off as needy but … honestly, what else can you say?

Panthers coach Joel Quenneville provided a positive update on Stralman, as The Athletic’s George Richards reports (sub required).

“They did a pretty good job of sewing him up,” Quenneville said. “He is OK, but he took quite a gash. It’s a pressure cut, he got hit in just the right spot. He is very lucky.”

The Tampa Bay crowd cheered on Stralman as he was able to leave the ice with some help. The moment must have been even more comfortable than usual — which is saying something — as Stralman is only recently removed from his days as a defenseman with the Lightning. Former teammate Ryan McDonagh shot the puck, while Victor Hedman checked on Stralman.

Lightning and Panthers now neck-and-neck

The Lightning ended Florida’s three-game winning streak, and closed some distance between them. Tampa Bay improved to 18-13-4 (40 points in 35 games played). The Panthers lead the Bolts with their 18-13-5 record (41 points in 36 GP), but not by much.

As important as the game was for both sides, it’s a relief that Stralman seemingly avoided anything major. At least, it seems that way so far.

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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

Panthers sign Brian Boyle to one-year deal

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By Adam GretzOct 20, 2019, 1:59 PM EDT

1 Comment

The Florida Panthers added to their center depth on Sunday afternoon by announcing a one-year deal with 34-year-old Brian Boyle.

Financial terms of the deal were not released by the team, but TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports it will pay Boyle $940,000 this season.

“With over 700 games played in the NHL and over 100 more in the playoffs, Brian brings a wealth of experience to our club,” general manager Dale Tallon said in a statement released by the team. “He adds versatility and character to our lineup.”

Boyle spent the 2018-19 season split between the New Jersey Devils and Nashville Predators, scoring 18 goals in 78 games. That performance came just one year after he won the Masterton Trophy after coming back from chronic myelogenous leukemia, a type of blood and bone cancer. In October of 2018 he announced that his leukemia was in full remission.

Boyle’s addition to the lineup comes one day after Aleksander Barkov, the team’s No. 1 center and best all-around player, had to exit Saturday’s shootout win over the Nashville Predators with an apparent injury.

The Panthers were one of the busiest teams of the offseason adding Sergei Bobrovsky, Brett Connolly, Anton Stralman and now Boyle to their lineup, along with the addition of Joel Quenneville as the team’s new coach. They are trying to snap a three-year playoff drought. Through eight games they have a 3-2-3 record this season.

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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.

Panthers up to challenge of finding way back to playoffs

By Sean LeahyOct 8, 2019, 9:30 AM EDT

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The Florida Panthers were a popular sleeper team pick when we surveyed a number of NHL players at the Player Media Tour in Chicago last month. Adding Joel Quenneville, Sergei Bobrovsky, Brett Connolly, Anton Stralman, and getting a full season from a healthy Vincent Trocheck would certainly raise expectations heading into the 2019-20 NHL season.

Having made the Stanley Cup Playoffs just once in the last seven seasons would up the urgency to turn things around. Owner Vinnie Viola didn’t invest to build a loser, and the expected aggressive off-season from the Panthers’ showed they’re ready to win now. So while some may label them a sleeper team, Jonathan Huberdeau isn’t expecting to surprise anyone.

“I don’t think we are a surprise team anymore,” Huberdeau told NBC Sports. “Obviously, we know our lineup. Our lineup has changed, but not drastically, so we know we are a good team and I am going to follow my teammate Aaron [Ekblad] and say we are the team to beat.”

“Maybe in the past people overlooked us, but right now, I would say we go into this year as the team to beat,” Ekblad told The Athletic in August. Installing Quenneville behind the bench was a good first move to reaching that goal. With a successful history coaching in the league, the expectations to win and play the right way won’t just be coming from outside the dressing room, the head coach will demand that as well.

“He brings a lot,” Huberdeau said. “Winning culture, he has won, he has made the playoffs, he is a guy that lets his players play. We saw Chicago, their system, it looked like they were having a lot of fun, so that is what we want, to have a lot of fun and win some games.”

The Panthers are off to a 1-1-0 start following a home-and-home split with the Lightning. Bobrovsky is known to be a slow starter and the offense outside of Mike Hoffman, who has four of the team’s six goals, is still getting going. The schedule the rest of October isn’t exactly a friendly one with games against the Predators, Avalanche (two), Flames, Hurricanes, among others, coming up.

There are no more excuses, however. The job of building a winning roster is not complete, but positive steps have been made. The Panthers know it’s time to meet expectations

“Right now I think we know we have to make the playoffs and we are going to make the playoffs,” said Huberdeau.

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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.