George Richards, FHN Publisher
With very little salary cap space to work with when free agency opened Wednesday afternoon, Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito went to work trying to address team needs.
While it was tough seeing players such as Claude Giroux, Mason Marchment and Ben Chiarot move on to sign big-ticket contracts the Panthers simply could not afford to come close to matching, the Florida front office went after players they feel can help them moving forward — and would do so at a reasonable term.
Florida’s subtractions on Wednesday were massive, make no mistake about it.
”They are people first and you get to know them and Mason was a guy who I can’t thank him enough,” Zito said. “We just didn’t have the cap space. A lot of times you are limited by the rules and what you have. … It’s a hard thing to do but it’s part of life in the National Hockey League. But it’s never easy.’’
The core of the Panthers remains.
It was Zito’s task to go about in trying to find affordable fits, to add to what the team already possesses.
While a number of teams in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference improved their lot, the Panthers are going to try and run things back with a majority of last year’s team returning — with some additions from within and from players acquired on Wednesday.
Florida added forwards Colin White, Nick Cousins and added 25-year-old left wing Rudolfs Balcers on Thursday.
The Panthers also signed defenseman Marc Staal and will have Eric Staal in on a training camp tryout.
”We think we got done what we set out to do,” Zito said when the dust had settled on Wednesday’s opening day of free agency.
“We did not have a lot o cap space but we tried to be as prudent and efficient as we could and we’re pretty excited about the players that are coming in.”
The headline, when it came to the Panthers, is what left town.
Chiarot, Giroux, Marchment, Noel Acciari.
Those players will be tough to replace, no doubt.
Only the Panthers hope moving things around, everything will be just fine in the end.
We shall see.
The departures were all expected, perhaps not a week ago but definitely as free agency crept closer and the Panthers’ cap constraints were a reality.
Florida was not able to clear any space and went into free agency without much financial ammunition.
Giroux was the first to go, his move to Ottawa announced almost the moment the clock struck 12 on Wednesday afternoon.
Marchment and Chiarot are two players at different points in their careers but players who were looking for the same thing.
For Marchment, this was his first opportunity at a real NHL contract. He got four years and $18 million from Pete DeBoer and the Dallas Stars.
Chiarot, at 31, probably got his last big NHL deal. He got four years and $19 million from the Red Wings.
Mission accomplished for both.
Florida could not compete with that and knew it.
So, as he did in his first days as general manager, Zito went looking for value.
He bristled a bit in 2020 when I said he went digging through the NHL bargain bin, but there is often good deals to be found in those corners.
Zito and the Panthers struck gold with some of his finds in 2020 — Carter Verhaeghe and Anthony Duclair to be sure — and they hope to have found similar value here.
Colin White is a player who Florida can use in a variety of different situations as he can play center or either wing, take faceoffs and play anywhere in the lineup.
White, 25, was a first-round pick who never lived up to the big contract given to him in Ottawa.
A right shoulder injury sustained in the preseason that needed surgery last year slowed his production to just three goals and 10 points in 24 games leading the resurgent Sens to buy out the final three years of his contract.
As was the case with Sam Bennett, no one in Florida gives a flip about where Ottawa drafted White nor what they paid him.
This is a fresh start in the sun and the Panthers hope that breathes new life into his career.
White signed for one year and $1.2 million to prove he can play at a high level in this league.
He will get a nice opportunity in Florida to prove his worth. Zito did not like the “prove it” contract comparison, but that is what this is. White is betting on himself and the Panthers are betting on him.
White is also a restricted free agent with arbitration rights so if he plays well, the Panthers can keep him around.
“We looked at a player who had a certain skillset,” Zito said. “He gives us utility across the board in the lineup. Come on in and play hockey, work hard and hopefully it’s a good fit.”
Nick Cousins, 28, was second to sign with the Panthers on Wednesday, a hard-nosed player who brings a little scoring touch. He got two years at $1.1 million annually.
He should prove to be a nice addition to the third or fourth line.
Cousins has a history of grappling with Jonathan Huberdeau although any hard feelings are probably already in the past.
”When you play against him, you notice him — and you don’t like him,’’ Zito said.
The biggest names came last as defenseman Marc Staal signed a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum of $750,000 with Eric Staal — whom Zito spoke of his long history with new coach Paul Maurice from their Carolina days — accepting a professional tryout at camp.
It is very rare to see a player accept a PTO on the first day of free agency and, in fact, this may be the earliest anyone ever has.
Florida, again, is up against the salary cap even with Duclair’s $3 million coming off at least temporarily. Eric Staal did not play in the NHL last year so the Panthers were probably being prudent in not offering a binding contract without seeing what is left in that tank.
Also, by coming in on a PTO, Eric Staal would not count against Florida’s salary cap number until he is, you know, officially offered said contract.
As it stands right now, Florida is about $775,000 under the cap when Duclair’s salary is deducted; Eric Staal, if he makes the team, will probably get a similar contract to his younger brother.
That means the Panthers are a used midsized car away from being over the cap. The signing of Balcers, which was reported by the team’s website, would throw them over the top. Balcers scored 11 goals but was bought out by the Sharks earlier this week.
More moves will have to be made as the season approaches.
Regardless of that, the Panthers remain a team which still has their championship window open. It has closed slightly, but Florida is going to compete.
Zito and his staff is known for doing their research and they did not just randomly pick these players to join the Panthers.
White being bought out last week may have caught them by surprise but probably not.
When it comes right down to it, the Panthers were a damned good team before Claude Giroux and Ben Chiarot got here in March and they will be again now that they are gone.
Bringing in some players with something to prove — as White and the Staal brothers certainly do — may just be what this team needs.