Quote:
Originally Posted by Groot
The amount of things that had to go just right to get the Panthers here is absurd.
A 35-year of Bobrovsky finds his game again at an elite level
One of the best waiver pickups ever in Forsling
A 12th overall pick turns into a >0.70 PPG in the playoffs by his 3rd season in Lundell
Not one, but THREE buy low trade candidates that then took their game to another level after arriving in Florida. Bennett, Reinhart, Jones.
Picking up a young, 24-year old former Cup Winner that becomes a playoff stud, because a team leaves them unqualified because of cap constraints in Verhaege.
A GM screws up and let's an elite player force his way to RFA or be traded, have that player choose the Panthers and have their former team like the Panthers offer the best in Tkachuk.
And finally their top 1 and 2 picks a decade ago actually turned into elite players, unlike dozens of others selected in the same spots, with Barkov and Ekblad.
All very fortuitous and I'm happy for the Panthers, especially if all the above is what causes McDavid to leave Edmonton without any Cups.
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True but they had to suck for quite a while which let them draft the pieces to become what they are now. Hubey 3rd overall 2011, Barkov 2nd overall 2013, Ekblad 1st overall 2014. They also sniped Weegar at 206th overall in 2013, helping them eventually land Chucky.
A lot has gone right for them. Being a warm weather low tax state is a huge advantage they have as well. I don't think it's a coincidence that a south Florida team has represented the east 6 straight times.