Despite Reports, Panthers Should Be Sellers at the Trade Deadline

The Florida Panthers are in quite the predicament heading into the NHL’s March 3rd trade deadline.

As of the time of writing, the Florida Panthers currently sit three points out of a playoff spot but have just a 27.5% chance of making the postseason, according to moneypuck.com.

So does the team add some pieces at the trade deadline to try and make a run?

Or do they sell off some assets and prep themselves for next season?

Earlier this week, Paul Maurice stated that the team will not be selling at the deadline, but is that really the right call?

To Buy or to Sell, That is the Question

The Panthers still have a chance at making the playoffs. And I believe they owe it to their fans to give it their best go, just not at the expense of their future.

When you look at how stacked the Eastern Conference is, and after all the moves that Toronto, Boston, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, and the New York Rangers have made, it doesn’t make sense for the Panthers to buy. The ROI is unlikely to be worth it considering the treacherous path it will take to get to the Cup final in the East.

But the Panthers also don’t need to blow things up and sell off all their assets. They are a team that has some great core pieces and some players providing incredible value for their cap hits, ie Brandon Montour, Gustav Forsling, and Carter Verhaeghe.

Those are guys you can build around with the likes of Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk already in the mix.

But the Panthers can greatly benefit from being soft-sellers at the deadline and addressing their prospect pool.

After seeing the returns that selling teams have received, the market is much too rich to miss out on this opportunity.

Panthers Thin Pipeline Must Be Addressed

The Panthers have been buyers the last couple of seasons and in doing so have completely depleted their pipeline.

The Panthers now do not own a first-round draft pick this year or in 2024 and 2025. They also gave up their 2022 first-round pick in the Sam Reinhart trade.

On top of that, most of their high-end prospects have been traded away.

Take a quick glance at the Panthers’ current prospect pool and it won’t give you much confidence that they can afford to not develop any top-end prospects for the next three years.

Forward Prospects

Grigori Denisenko – The Russian forward hasn’t inspired much confidence in his development. The former first-round pick has skated in 18 games this season and has just three assists. In 26 total NHL games, he has yet to find the back of the net.

Aleksi Heponiemi – The former second-round pick of the 2017 draft has shown moments of brilliance and could probably be a bottom-six forward with the club next season. He has the speed and vision, but his size remains an issue.

Matthew Samoskevich – The 24th overall pick in 2021 is having a nice year in the Big-10 with the University of Michigan. With 35 points in 32 games, he sits third on team scoring, behind Luke Hughes and the projected top-three pick of this year’s draft, Adam Fantilli. But without any pro games under his belt, it’s hard to gauge just how far away he is from the NHL level.

Defence Prospects

Lucas Carlsson – The former fourth-round pick of the 2016 draft looks to be the next man up on the Panthers’ blue line. The Swedish native is having a phenomenal year with the AHL Charlotte Checkers. His 14 goals are a franchise high for defencemen and he also has a team-leading +17 through 43 games.

Santtu Kinnunen – The former seventh-round pick has been a pleasant surprise. It’s not every day a player drafted so late makes the NHL. But the young Finnish defenceman is making his case following a promising year in the AHL. In his first professional season in North America, Kinnunen has amassed six goals and 24 points in 51 games with the Charlotte Checkers.

The team also boasts two puck-moving defencemen in Evan Nause, currently in the QMJHL, and Michael Benning, of the reigning D1 Frozen Four winners, the University of Denver.

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Deeper Prospect Pool Gives Panthers More Options

Having a strong prospect pool will do two things for the Cats.

With the cap constraints they’re facing, they can choose to lean on a prospect, and the ELCs they carry, to round out their depth.

Or, they can use the prospects as intriguing pieces in trade packages to bring in players at future trade deadlines.

In terms of disposable assets, the Panthers have Radko Gudas, Colin White, Marc Staal, and Eric Staal on expiring contracts.

Then there’s Sam Reinhart, who Bill Zito could dangle in front of teams to try and get a first-round pick. That’ll probably take some salary retention to make his 6.5 million cap hit work with most contenders but his contract is still movable.

And lastly, although it’d have to be a significant return, Sam Bennett and his team-friendly deal could also be shopped.

Any return of NHL-ready prospects or 1st and 2nd round picks must be considered.

Zito Cannot Miss Out on the Deepest Draft in Years

The 2023 NHL entry draft is poised to be the deepest draft in recent memory. So to only have one pick (2nd rounder) in the first three rounds will be a missed opportunity for Zito. 

The Panthers don’t need an overhaul of their roster. But they certainly need to do some tweaking.

With how this season has gone, and with how tough it’ll be to come out of the East in the playoffs, right now is the perfect time for Zito to build up his pipeline and position the Panthers in a stronger place to buy in the seasons to follow.