Panthers Postscript: Will big trades lead to bigger results — and a Stanley Cup?
At this point for the Florida Panthers, is it Stanley Cup or bust?
How the Panthers acted at the trade deadline certainly signals as much.
The Panthers were already atop the NHL standings before they made their big swing by acquiring four-time All-Star and one-time Stanley Cup winner Vladimir Tarasenko on Wednesday.
They didn’t stop there, following up the Tarasenko move by then trading for the Buffalo Sabres’ Kyle Okposo ahead of Friday’s trade deadline.
The Panthers did this all while keeping the entirety of their core intact — Florida only gave up one prospect and three mid-round draft picks for the two moves.
It gives the Panthers everything they need as they gear up for another deep playoff run.
“It’s nice to join a team who wins a lot of games,” Tarasenko said. “The goal, as high as possible, is to win the [Stanley] Cup.”
It’s early, but Tarasenko has already seemed to fit in nicely in the Panthers’ dressing room. In addition to being lethal with the puck, he has past relationships with several players and showcased high energy and tenacity in his first two games.
Okposo has yet to play for Florida — he will most likely draw into the lineup on Tuesday — but he will serve as another veteran presence with a history of competing in the playoffs. Okposo was Buffalo’s captain the past two seasons and understands how valuable relationships in addition to pure skill are to longstanding success.
“I am going to a team where I am just going to start by being a good guy, being a guy in the room and trying to do whatever I can to help the team and work hard and be a spoke in the wheel,” Okposo said. “I am not trying to be a disruptor, why would you? You’re going to the best team in the league right now. I just want to put my head down and work hard and fit in and do whatever I can to help the team.”
The presence of Tarasenko and Okposo merely adds to what already has been going right for the Panthers, who have won 13 of 16 games since the All-Star Break and are 26-5-2 in their past 33 games.
Florida’s defensive structure has excelled in Year 2 under coach Paul Maurice. The one-two goaltending punch of Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz has been arguably the best in the NHL. And the offense is clicking.
When all three phases are working harmoniously, the Panthers are one of the most dangerous teams — if not the most dangerous team — in the NHL.
Bringing the likes of Tarasenko and Okposo into the mix on paper should only fortify that as Florida chases its first Stanley Cup.
The final month of the regular season will show just how much projection turns into reality.
Game recaps
▪ Monday — Panthers 4, Rangers 2: Ryan Lomberg scored the game-winning goal early in the third period, Sam Reinhart scored twice and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 of 28 shots against. Anton Lundell iced the game with an empty-net goal.
▪ Tuesday — Panthers 5, Devils 3: Nick Cousins opened scoring and scored the game-winning goal as the Panthers swept their three-game road trip. Evan Rodrigues, Eetu Luostarinen and Reinhart also scored.
▪ Thursday — Flyers 2, Panthers 1: Tarasenko made his Panthers debut and played on the left wing of Florida’s top line with Aleksander Barkov and Reinhart, but the Flyers scored the game-winning goal with about 20 seconds left in regulation.
▪ Saturday — Panthers 5, Flames 1: Tarasenko scored twice and added an assist, while Anthony Stolarz stopped 34 of 35 shots he faced (including all 29 at even strength). Barkov, Sam Bennett and Kevin Stenlund also scored.
Milestones for Aaron Ekblad
Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad hit a pair of milestones this week.
First, Ekblad recorded his 230th assist on Tuesday against the Devils and then added No. 231 on Friday against the Flyers. He now stands alone in Panthers history in all scoring categories by a defenseman — goals (115), assists (231) and points (346).
And then on Saturday, Ekblad skated in his 672nd game with the Panthers, moving past former teammate Jonathan Huberdeau for the second most all-time in franchise history.
“To grow with the team and to have this team built on playoff hockey, built on winning, wanting to win on a nightly basis and not taking any games for granted is a fun thing to be a part of,” Ekblad said earlier this week, according to Florida Hockey Now. “I have all the pride in the world in this jersey, and I wear it with pride each and every night. I am just trying to do everything I can do to help this team.’’
One thing to note, however: Ekblad sustained a lower-body injury in the first period of the Panthers’ win over Calgary on Saturday in a knee-on-knee collision with Tarasenko.
The Panthers didn’t have an immediate update on Ekblad’s status postgame Saturday. Stay tuned for further updates.
Meanwhile, more milestones are on the horizon. Barkov is six points from 700 for his career. Sam Bennett is one game from 600 for his career, and Anton Lundell is one from his 200th game.
Stories you might have missed
Our big story of the week: A longform published Friday on how Panthers general manager Bill Zito made the Florida Panthers an annual contender and a destination for top players over the past four years.
Big-name players are now openly wanting to play for the Panthers — just ask the likes of Matthew Tkachuk and Tarasenko.
Players are wanting to stay here in their primes, too — look at defenseman Gustav Forsling signing an eight-year contract extension and Sam Reinhart, a pending free agent, openly saying on multiple occasions this year that he wants his Panthers tenure to continue.
The key message from Zito: “At this point, at least our room, I think they know that we’re going to do everything we can to help them do their thing. It’s their thing. People pay to see them. It’s their team. It’s their success. But to the extent that we can help, I think the guys appreciate it and they know that we’re all in.”
Other stories of note:
▪ More from Tarasenko on why he chose to waive his no-trade clause for the Panthers — and only the Panthers.
▪ Did you see Barkov make arguably the assist of the year? Watch the play here.
The week ahead
The Panthers have a three-game week ahead of them, going on the road to face the Dallas Stars on Tuesday (8 p.m. puck drop) and Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday (7 p.m. puck drop) before hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday (6 p.m. puck drop).
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