Quote:
Originally Posted by saillias
I have no opinion of an offer-sheet one way or the other, but the longer he goes unsigned the more realistic it becomes. Yeah I know Tallon's trades and his tenure there and I think if he was analyzed under a microscope like a Canadian GM he would be gone after the 2014 season. I can't think of a single year in the Panthers existence where they weren't an emerging young team just on the cusp of making the playoffs.
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Why would he be gone then? Ownership has only recently had any significant interest in icing a competitive product. Before the Violas, they had someone who only wanted them as an asset on their financial ledger, and treated the team with a certain amount of disdain and neglect. Tallon was in a no-win situation before a couple years ago.
The Violas have committed to giving enough money to make a competitive team (more than just the cap floor amount) and Tallon has had permission to go out and pick up quality players as free agents or in trades (think back to last off-season for an example of him filling the roster with players who could make a difference).
And yes, the Panthers have been building for a while, but they had inept management, development, and drafting prior to Tallon's arrival. Only since he's come on board has there been a clear direction and plan to build a competitive franchise. It's starting to really come together, and not in some "pie-in-the-sky" kind of way.
And one final point. If you're a hockey fan you should be supportive of all teams having a certain run of success. If there are franchises in trouble, it effects the entire league and the health of the game. It's not beyond the realm of possibilities for the Panthers being a good draw the way the Lightning, Kings, or Sharks have become in areas that were previously thought to be hockey graveyards. Want a bigger cap instead of a stagnant or declining one? Want the NHL to have a major television deal in the U.S.? Then hope for teams like the Panthers to have their own cycle of success and build a regular fanbase again.