Panthers Approaching Critical 2022 Trade Deadline
Every season, the trade deadline offers a final chance for teams with Stanley Cup aspirations to try to put their rosters over the edge, and the 2021-22 campaign will be no different.
This time around, there’ll be plenty of attention on the Florida Panthers, who’ll be hoping to increase their chances of a deep playoff run. Surrounded by a talented Eastern Conference, it’ll be crucial for general manager Bill Zito and his staff to solidify this group before the deadline passes.
As things stand currently, the club finds itself amongst the leaders in the Atlantic Division, albeit, with top spot still up for grabs. In all likelihood, one of either the Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning or Toronto Maple Leafs will secure first place in the division by season’s end.
For a team that was bounced by the Lightning in the opening round of last summer’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, they’ll undoubtedly be pushing to win the Atlantic, which would guarantee them a first-round tilt against one of the two wild-card teams.
At the moment, accounting for LTIR relief, management is currently working with approximately $3.8 million in cap space, meaning there are moves to be made this month.
So what areas does Florida need to address? Luckily, this organization doesn’t feature any major flaws, at most, it’ll only need to strengthen its depth, particularly on defence.
Headlined by a talented top-four mix, including Aaron Ekblad, MacKenzie Weeger, Gustav Forsling and Radko Gudas, this is arguably one of the best blue-lines in the league. Still, where the club requires assistance is its third defensive pairing.
For most of the season, Brandon Montour, a right-handed defenceman, has been paired with a revolving door of partners, none of which have taken the reins as a full-time regular. Adding to this unit’s ineffectiveness, Montour has had his struggles while defending at 5-on-5 this season.
In total, the 27-year-old has posted the lowest Corsi For Percentage (55.4), Fenwick For Percentage (53.4), Expected Goals For Percentage (53.3) and the second-lowest High-Danger Chances For Percentage (52.6) among all qualified Florida defensemen, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.
The Panthers feature an encouraging young blueliner in Lucas Carlsson, who has enjoyed some bright moments in 2021-22. But at just 24, the left-handed defenceman might not be ready to assume a regular role in the postseason.
While Carlsson appears to have a promising future in the NHL, for now, the club likely needs to acquire a stopgap on that bottom pairing. Based on recent reports, there shouldn’t be any shortage of quality options available leading up to the trade deadline.
Starting at the top of that list, Mark Giordano or Hampus Lindholm would surely be the most obvious targets, as they’re both capable of making a sizeable impact. Despite being rentals, acquiring either skater could perfectly fit this team’s timeline while also significantly improving its backend.
For Giordano, 38, the 6’1” blueliner would provide size and physicality on Florida’s bottom pairing, as he’s posted 93 blocks and 44 hits this season. Sure, he’s not the same Norris Trophy winner he once was, however, his leadership hasn’t wavered throughout his career.
Not to mention, the long-time Calgary Flame still possesses marginal offensive upside, which has seen him register six goals and 23 points with the Seattle Kraken.
When it comes to Lindholm, who’s 10 years younger than Giordano, he’s also extremely physical and can clog shooting lanes with his 6-foot-4, 216-pound frame. The left-hander is considered a fairly reliable puck mover and has remained consistent in this regard across his nine seasons in Anaheim.
Enjoying a strong performance this season, the former first-round selection has produced five goals, 20 points, 105 shots on goal, 73 blocks, 48 hits and 24 takeaways over 54 contests with the Ducks.
Even though Florida has resources to spend, the organization can’t absorb the entirety of Giordano’s ($6.75 million) or Lindholm’s ($5.2 million) cap hits without sending out money or receiving financial help.
In either deal, the front office could include centre Frank Vatrano ($2.53 million cap hit), who’s regularly been a healthy scratch and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this off-season. At which point, the club would have $6.37 million in cap space before taking on any other contracts.
This way, the Panthers would clear space on their payroll and likely wouldn’t be forced to include a first or second-rounder – both of which they don’t own until 2023 – in any potential Giordano or Lindholm deals.
Since constructing a trade package around Vatrano might weaken this team’s depth at centre, there could be an easy solution to that problem. Either promote one of their young forwards from the minors or pursue a larger deal with the Kraken that also includes Calle Jarnkrok.
Like Giordano, Jarnkrok is scheduled to hit free agency as a UFA this summer and will probably be moved before Mar. 21.
If acquired, the 30-year-old could factor into Florida’s bottom-six group, providing upside in the face-off circle (49.4 per-cent in 2021-22) and on the score sheet (11 goals, 23 points), too. Adding to his value, the 5’11” forward has also spent time on the power play throughout his nine-year NHL career, and could do so in the ‘Sunshine State’ if called upon.
Due to Jarnkrok’s $2 million cap hit, paired with Giordano’s lucrative figure, Seattle would probably need to eat some salary in this trade scenario. In most cases, a deal could likely be made if 50 per-cent of the veteran defenceman’s cap hit was retained.
If acceptable, this could be the Panthers’ best route to addressing a pair of needs in one fell swoop. By the end of deadline day, their roster would be well-positioned to compete for a championship, regardless of their first-round opponent.
Above all else, capturing this season’s Stanley Cup remains squarely on everyone’s minds throughout the franchise. But if they stand pat and don’t fill any holes, accomplishing that feat could prove more difficult.
Tough choices will need to be made over these next few weeks, although if the deadline goes according to plan, being the last team standing in June could become a reality – instead of a dream.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
Photo: Doug Kerr. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.