George Richards, FHN Publisher
When asked if he thought his Florida Panthers would be as good as they have shown this season, general manager Bill Zito bristled a bit.
Knowing that the Panthers had a Hall of Fame coach behind the bench and some pretty talented players Zito said he thought Florida could have a successful season.
But this good? Really?
“When we came here, there were some pretty good players here,’’ said Zito, who is expected to be a finalist for NHL GM of the Year.
“Realistically, it’s not crazy to think we would play pretty well with good players and a really good coach. You would bristle a little bit in the preseason when a lot of people — the so-called experts — counted us out.
“People didn’t have a lot of time for the Panthers. But I thought we could have a successful season because we had quality people here. I don’t think the people in our room are surprised at all with what has happened. They have done their jobs. People didn’t give them a lot of respect. I am really proud of these guys.”
He should be.
The Panthers will open the 2021 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs on Sunday night (NBCSN, BS-FLA) against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Not only did the Panthers surprise folks by making the playoffs, but doing it so easily. At least it appeared that way.
On Monday, Zito spoke with Florida Hockey Now on a variety of subjects from the toughness this team now appears to have to the spectacular play of center Sasha Barkov.
Here is what Bill Zito had to say about the state of the Panthers heading into the postseason:
Teams that are losing always talk about a “culture change” and that is a thing. Are the Panthers on the right track?
Yeah, I think we’re on the road. It’s the players. It is their culture and it is the guys in that room who are doing it. It’s the Barkovs, the Weegars, the Hornqvists. It is the guys blocking shots, backchecking, doing all the little things like showing up to the rink early and leaving late. It is about being a great teammate to one another. We’re really playing as a team. There is still a lot of work to be done as a team and as an organization but it’s really exciting to see and lots of fun to be around. It is infectious.
As GM, how much fun has it been seeing all the players you brought in doing what they’re doing?
It’s rewarding when you see a player, and you see someone’s skill set or a certain element, and you think that would fit with our group. And then it starts to work. Yeah, it makes you feel good. Then it’s ‘OK, well, it’s working. What’s next? What can I do? What can we do to help him to be better.’ Its also very rewarding for our scouts. We have a great bunch of talented people who have worked hard. They have prepared and executed under some difficult circumstances and deserve the credit.
How much has Joel Quenneville helped with that?
Having Joel is really helpful because he puts players in the position to succeed. When Gusev came, he put him on a line with Sasha. When Bennett comes, he’s with Huby. That’s exactly where we needed them and they needed to be to succeed.
It’s been really helpful from an evaluation standpoint to kind of get to know what guys can do. I think for a confidence standpoint for the players they know, you know, the coach believes in them and can just let them play. ‘What do you do well? OK, we’ll put you there.’ It’s been great.
Sasha Barkov is a Selke candidate. With Columbus, your team played against him. What have you noticed about him now that you are around him all the time?
His hunger to get better every single day. He’s among the hardest working athletes we have, the hardest-working hockey players we have. And I differentiate the two. There’s obviously an attentiveness to the body and the work you need to do to develop your conditioning, your muscles, what have you. But the little things he does as a hockey player, his focus to continue to improve and study and think hockey. Every day that guy wants to get better.
Keith Yandle said the cool thing about getting a new teammate is seeing them around Barkov for the first time and that they seem surprised at just how good he is.
That’s pretty cool. And then you meet him. And then you get to know him as a person. I think a significant part of his leadership success is due to the fact that you don’t want to let him down. You see how hard he works and what a genuine person he is. You can absolutely see how that could be the case with this his teammates.
When Barkov was named captain, some people questioned it. Even last year there were outsiders saying he’s just too quiet or doesn’t have the proper demeanor. Have you heard any of that after this season?
Well, I wasn’t here. I only know, from the day I got here, I had a conversation with him and nothing’s changed. He’s engaging and he is smart. He has a remarkably high emotional intelligence. I would probably think wisdom beyond his years. And that’s outside of hockey. I think that actually lends itself well to his hockey playing experiences.
He is a really bright guy and fun to be around. He has a great sense of humor, he’s really witty and very thoughtful. He is just kind, always considerate, always thinking of others. You come in and there’s Finnish chocolates in the training room. ‘Oh, Sasha got a package from Finland.’ No one asked him; he just brought in treats because he thinks of other people. That’s leadership. He doesn’t do it to be a leader, that’s just who he is. Good dude.
After this season, Barkov has one more year left on his contract. You can sign him to an extension this summer. Has that been a conversation yet?
We’ll worry about it after the season. Right now I can tell you every man in that room is focused on the playoffs.
Joel said Aaron Ekblad was going to the doctor last week. Any update on his status?
I saw him this morning and he looks great, but I don’t have an update.
Ekblad has said he hopes to be back if the team gets a few rounds in. Possible?
My understanding is that it’s too early to make a time-line determination. But, of course it could be a possibility.
When it comes to Spencer Knight, has his performance at the NHL level these past few months changed your thoughts on where he’ll be next year?
First of all, his performance has been great. And it just shows exactly why we maintained the position that we did through the year. What a great young prospect he is. And he’s a great young man. Roberto, Leo, Tally and Spencer will get together and will figure out the best course for him to play as many games and develop in the right way. I don’t think we’re going to change anything.
Is the plan for him to go to Charlotte next year and get the games in?
Whatever the best situation for him to develop appropriately is the plan. Those guys will figure it all out.
The Seattle Expansion Draft is coming up. Does that keep you up at night?
We’re going lose a good player. That’s the nature of the draft. Obviously, it’s something we’ve been planning on. There’s nothing you can do. You learn from experience and everyone is going to lose a player.
How thrilled are you, from your personal past relationship, with Alex Wennberg’s turnaround season?
Alex has made a lot of progress. It nice to see him improving and growing as a player. He’d be the first guy to tell you that there is even more there and he is always working to be better. So, it has been a lot of fun.
Would you like to have Wennberg back next season?
Of course. Because of the unique year, the compressed schedule, and strange timing, we will evaluate everything at the end of the season. As I mentioned with regard to Sasha, let’s just worry now about the playoffs and all that stuff will work itself out.
You have a few guys who came in on “prove-it” deals who have proved it.
It’s great when this happens. And we think we have “proved it” as well. We told guys that we had a fit or a plan and a solid opportunity for them to have success. When it works out, you not only gain the on-ice contribution from the players’ success but the goodwill. ‘Hey, the Panthers did what they told me they’d do. The coach played me to my strengths. They didn’t ask me to be something I’m not and they were true to their word.’ That might be just as important.
One thing I hope is we have crossed the chasm to where guys want to come to the Florida Panthers. We hope we have got it going now where if we tell a free agent where we see a fit, what we’re going to do, they are going to believe us. Now we have a track record of success stories from which to build upon.
One of the missing ingredients here was a lack of toughness. Doesn’t seem to be a problem right now.
For me, I think it should be part of life. Don’t be afraid to get knocked around and maybe you won’t have to. Whether its mental, physical or emotional, if it happens, it happens. But be prepared. If it happens, get back up and go again.
Many of the players on this team had some sort of obstacle or battle along the way. These are resilient guys who have been hardened a little bit. It remains to be seen. Now the playoffs start. Different deal.
Your team goes into the playoffs against the defending Stanley Cup champions. Joel said you have to go through the best to get to the top. Thoughts on playing the Lightning?
We will see. They have three pretty good players coming back. But we’ve got some good players too. And that’s what makes it fun. I think it’s awesome for hockey. And it’s great for hockey in the state of Florida. It should be a lot of fun.