George Richards, FHN Publisher
SUNRISE — Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito had only been on the job a little over a month when the free agency period opened up.
On Oct. 9, 2020, Zito went about bringing in new blood for a Florida team which needed some.
Although none of the signings Zito made that day three years ago were considered huge moves at the time, they certainly helped turn the Panthers into what they are today.
In fact, the biggest name signing Zito made that day was defenseman Radko Gudas — and some thought the Panthers not only overpaid, but gave him too much term.
That three-year deal turned out to be quite the bargain and helped transform the Panthers into a consistent playoff contender.
Getting Carter Verhaeghe to come south from Tampa certainly paid off better than anyone could have imagined.
“I have said it before, but I don’t think Billy has made a bad move so far,” said Ryan Lomberg, who was a relative unknown when he signed three years ago but is now a fan favorite as Zito predicted he would be.
“He is a magician. It has been great and I am proud to be a part of it.”
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Since Zito took over for Dale Tallon and completely overhauled the Florida roster, the Panthers have made the playoffs three consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history and went to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final.
Zito was hired away from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sept. 2, 2020, moved into a hotel in Coconut Creek and got to work.
With the draft and free agency coming in the fall months due to Covid, Zito had to work fast.
“I have to hit the ground running,’’ he said.
The first move Zito made was a big one, trading Mike Matheson and Colton Sceviour to Pittsburgh for Patric Hornqvist.
That deal was a winner, for sure.
Then came the draft where Florida targeted center Anton Lundell and picked him at No. 12.
Cha-ching!
Just before free agency opened, Zito and old boss Jarmo Kekalainen swung a deal for defenseman Marcus Nutivaara.
When free agency did start, the Panthers were rumored to be a favorite to land St. Louis’ Alex Pietrangelo.
Although the Panthers had interest, they did not have the kind of money it would have taken and moved on.
“It was a little silly to be honest,” Zito said then. “We were speculated to be in on so many things, our salary cap would have needed to be $200 million. I can tell you I texted his agent this afternoon just to see where things were at. And that was about the extent of it.”
What Zito and the Panthers did was add some more toughness in getting Gudas for three years and $7.5 million.
They also jumped on Carter Verhaeghe, a fourth-line player who was let go by the cap-strapped Lightning and pulled him in on a two-year deal worth $1 million annually.
Few moves in franchise history have paid off more.
“He can play up-and-down the lineup with some upside,” Zito said in 2020. “That was something that we targeted. Our scouts worked very hard and spent a lot of hours looking for younger talent who might have some upside, might be buried, might be behind opportunities in the clubs they were on.
“We’re real excited to see what he can do and give him some opportunity to grow.”
Grow, he has.
Verhaeghe started training camp on the third line but was quickly moved up with Sasha Barkov.
In his first year, he set career highs in goals (18) and points (36) — something he has done in each of his first three seasons with the Panthers.
In his second season, Verhaeghe scored 24 goals with 55 points before blowing up last season with 42 goals and 73 points.
He is also a postseason hero, having scored the series-clinching goals against Washington in 2022 and Boston in 2023.
Florida quickly signed Verhaeghe to a three-year extension in 2021; he is in the second year of that deal and is just getting going.
“I think Carter is just coming into the true confidence of a shooter,” coach Paul Maurice said after he hit 30 goals. “He understands, and it has taken some time, that he is the shooter on the ice and he should not be deferring. If it is on his stick, we want that shot first. He is going to score a whole lot of goals.
“There are guys who score 20 or 30 and you think ‘oh, they got lucky. That’s not happening again.’ I think the opposite for him is true. He has missed a whole lot of chances that I think are going to start going when that true confidence comes in.”
Aside from Gudas and Verhaeghe, the Panthers also signed Lomberg — a player who had bounced between the Calgary Flames and their AHL team.
Although it took Lomberg some time to become a regular in 2021, once he got in late in that season he never left.
“I think the fans are going to love him,” Zito said the day he signed Lomberg. “He is an energy forward who can fly and is an F1, in-your-face, hard forward with hockey sense. He can play the game and will provide offensive zone presence. He is a very fast, speedy wing who plays with an edge.”
Lomberg, who has definitely become a fan favorite due not only to his hard-nosed style of play but infectious smile and work in the community, said it did not take him long to pick the Panthers as a free agent after speaking with Zito in 2020.
“From talking to him, from the first second, he believed in me,” Lomberg said. “He wanted me to be a part of what he envisioned moving forward. I could not be more proud to call myself a Florida Panther. I am very proud of what we have been able to accomplish so far and to keep pushing forward and have more success.”
There were other signings, of course.
Alex Wennberg quickly migrated south to rejoin Zito after being bought out by the Blue Jackets and scored 17 goals in 2021 — more than he had in his final three seasons in Columbus combined.
The Panthers also signed Vinnie Hinostroza, a move which did not pay immediate nor long-term dividends, as he was sent to his hometown Chicago Blackhawks on March 5, 2021.
Although not signed on the first day of free agency, the Panthers also signed Anthony Duclair to a one-year ‘prove-it’ contract in 2020 and that was another move which paid off handsomely for both sides.
All of these moves led to more trades and acquisitions as Florida pulled Gus Forsling off waivers before the 2021 season, traded for Sam Bennett and Brandon Montour at the 2021 deadline and then brought in Sam Reinhart from Buffalo at the 2021 NHL Draft.
Zito’s biggest blockbuster, of course, came last summer when he sent Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar plus a prospect and a first-round pick to Calgary for one Matthew Tkachuk.
For all the Panthers have done over the past few seasons, a lot of it can be traced to Oct. 9, 2020.
“Bill really wanted to change the culture of the team and I think the guys he brought in — and the guys who were brought in since — did a great job of that,” Lomberg said.
“We make sure we are hard and even though living in paradise, we know we have to come in to work every day and do what we have to do to have success here.”