George Richards, FHN Publisher
The Florida Panthers season wrapped up a little over a month ago, but report cards for the 2021 campaign are now being mailed home.
Today, we look at Florida’s defensemen and how they graded out.
Due to the pandemic and how things rolled with a taxi squad, the Panthers had an abundance of defensemen and playing time did not come easy for a lot of them.
For instance, a handful played in seven games or less.
The Panthers got some fantastic performances out of two of their best young d-men (Aaron Ekblad and MacKenzie Weegar) although Ekblad’s season-ending injury in March was a hit the Panthers never really recovered from.
Florida also may have found itself a gem on the blueline off the waiver wire when it picked up Gus Forsling during training camp.
Who makes it back for next season is a story for another day although with the Seattle Expansion Draft coming up in a few weeks, we should have some clarity on things soon enough.
Kevin Connauton (7 games; 0 goals-1 assist, 1 point): The Panthers brought Connauton into camp as a free agent tryout and he stuck around throughout the season although most of it was as a member of the taxi squad. Connauton did not see much action but the Panthers were impressed with what he brought off the ice and signed him to another two-way deal for next season. He will probably spend much of the year in Charlotte, but the Panthers are confident if they need him, he can play. Final grade: C.
Aaron Ekblad (35; 11-11, 22): One of the biggest disappointments for the Panthers this season came in March when Ekblad was lost for the season with a leg injury during a game in Dallas. It not only shutdown perhaps Ekblad’s best NHL season but left the Panthers with an enormous hole to fill — and one they could not. Ekblad was having the kind of season which may have brought him the team’s first Norris Trophy and even if it didn’t, he would definitely have been in the conversation. Ekblad broke out as one of the top d-men in the entire league. Ekblad will be ready to go when training camp starts in September. Final grade: A-plus.
Gus Forsling (43; 5-12, 17): When training camp started, Forsling was not even part of Florida’s plans. That’s because he started with Carolina. But when he was placed on waivers, the Panthers snapped him up and Forsling certainly did not disappoint. Florida loved the way he moved the puck and he was responsible defensively. When Ekblad got hurt, he moved up to the top pairing with MacKenzie Weegar. We will see what happens in the upcoming Seattle Expansion Draft, but the Panthers certainly would like to keep Forsling around. Final grade: A.
Radko Gudas (54; 2-9, 11): The first free agent signed by general manager Bill Zito, Gudas — known affectionately as ‘The Butcher’ — made an impact from the start. Gudas not only hit anything that moved (his 250 hits led all NHL players) but he was solid defensively and used his heavy shot to get pucks through to the net. Gudas has two years left on his contract and could be a expansion draft casualty especially after the season he just had. Gudas was one of the pieces which made the Panthers a little tougher to play against and they would love to see him return. Final grade: B-plus.
Noah Juulsen (4; 0-0, 0): One of two defensemen the Panthers claimed off waivers in training camp, Juulsen did not work out — at least not this season — the way Forsling did. Juulsen only appeared in four games but even that was a bit of a victory for him after he has been held back by injury the past few years. Juulsen spent a lot of time on the injured list but was practicing in the final months of the season. This one should be an incomplete. Final grade: C.
Brady Keeper (1; 0-0, 0): Spent most of the season with AHL Syracuse although he did not play at the start due to injury. Keeper, now two years into his professional career, is a free agent and his status with the Panthers will be known in the coming weeks. Final grade: Inc.
Matt Kiersted (7; 0-0): One of the most highly sought after collegiate free agents out of North Dakota, Kiersted made his NHL debut a few days after signing with Florida. Kiersted did not look out of place playing in the NHL although he did not play much in the final weeks and did not appear in any playoff games. This is a big summer for Kiersted. Final grade: B.
Brandon Montour (12; 2-2, 4): The Panthers acquired Montour at the trade deadline from Buffalo and, with Ekblad hurt, he stepped in and played some big minutes. Montour didn’t seem to be having too much fun playing with the Sabres but his game appeared to get a boost with something on the line. Now a free agent, Zito has said the Panthers would like to bring Montour back for a return engagement. Final grade: B.
Markus Nutivaara (30; 0-10, 10): After missing the start of training camp because of Covid, Nutivaara had an up-and-down season with the Panthers. Florida picked him up in a trade with Columbus before free agency and did not get as much as they had hoped. Nutivaara had his moments, however, and it would not be surprising to see him have a bigger role with the Panthers next season. Final grade: C-minus.
Riley Stillman (8; 0-0, 0): With all the depth the Panthers had on the blueline this season, Stillman got lost in the shuffle and only played in eight games before he was traded to Chicago in the Brett Connolly contract dump near the deadline. Stillman signed a new contract with the Blackhawks so he in their future plans. Final grade: C.
Anton Stralman (38; 3-6, 9): The veteran defenseman found playing time to be hard to come by at times, but in the playoffs, Stralman was back in the lineup for Game 2 and logged some big minutes as the Panthers came to rely on his game once again. At age 34, Stralman isn’t as fleet of foot as he was but who is? The Panthers know if Stralman gets in, he can be relied on to add a steady hand. Final grade: C.
MacKenzie Weegar (54; 6-30, 36): Weegar’s star continues to rise as he showed he could handle heavy duty when pressed into action after Ekblad’s injury. Weegar, who finally started to get some power play time as the season rolled along, ended up being Florida’s highest-scoring defenseman and finished tied for third on the team. The Panthers locked Weegar down with a three-year deal during the offseason which looked like a bargain at the time — and really looked good as the season went along. Weegar was played in all sorts of situations this season as his game went to another level. Final grade: A-plus.
Keith Yandle (56; 3-24, 27): It was a strange season for Yandle. After it appeared the Panthers were not going to play him in the opener and thereby end his NHL-leading Ironman streak, Yandle not only played but scored on Opening Night and ended up playing in all 56 games. That ran his streak to 922 consecutive games which means if he is going to break the record, it will happen this season. Yandle, who also played in his 1,000th game, was scratched for Game 3 of the playoffs as well as the final two. Yandle was not brought to Florida for his defense but for his ability to move the puck out of the zone and put up some points. He continues to do just that. But his defensive play was hard to hide and in the playoffs, the Panthers only played him in three of their six games. Final grade: C.