Florida Panthers Rebuild Continues (Now With More Trades!)

[SuperMatt18]

The Florida Panthers have decided to go full on re-build mode!

Prior to the draft the Panthers had tried to buy low on players that they thought had more upside and made some bets that re-rates would favor them. A couple of those bets panned out...and some didn't...but overall it has put the Panthers in a good position to get younger, and acquire assets for the future.

In the past week the Panthers have made 6 (!) trades.

Out:
Reilly Smith
Nick Leddy
Brayden McNabb
Patric Hornqvist
Mikko Koivu
Roman Polak
Jacob Silfverberg
Michael Ferland
Loui Eriksson
Jacob Forsbacka-Karlsson
Jeremy Lauzon
2020 2nd Round Draft Choice
2019 4th Round Draft Choice
$18M in Cheese

In
Alexander Radulov
Jordan Eberle
Adam Lowry
Jimmy Vesey
Ivan Barbashev
Gustav Forsling
Ryan Murray
Nick Merkley
Dante Fabbro
Frederic Allard
2020 First Round Pick (NYI)
2020 First Round Pick (PHX)
2019 3rd Round (CMB)
2019 or 2020 3rd Round Draft Pick

We feel like we added 4 pieces that really help us long term in Nick Merkley, Dante Fabbro, and 2 unprotected 1st round picks for 2020. Plus a bunch of young players that still have potential.

Overall our goal was to get high potential pieces that are young, and still have years of control left, and I think we were able to do that.

Also by giving up $18M in cap space for 18/19 we ensure we have a lot of cap space for the 2019/2020 off-season which is very important when teams are looking to make moves around draft time.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

In the past week the Panthers have made 6 (!) trades.

Wow, you are a rookie.

[SuperMatt18]

So since this last post I have made 3 more trades:

To Florida:
James Neal
Nic Hague
Matt Stajan
$1.0M Cap

To Minnesota:
Alex Radulov

In this deal took the downgrade from Radulov to Neal but was able to add a blue chip prospect, and OHL Defender of the Year - Nic Hague, to my team to complete the deal.

To Florida:
Nino Niedereiter
Christian Djoos
Cam Hillis

To Buffalo:
Jordan Eberle
$1.00M Cap

Eberle still had too much Oiler (Real Life) stench on him for my liking and I think Niedereiter is potentially the better player this season on a better Minnesota Wild team. Add a former 3rd round pick in Hillis, and Djoos who had a pretty good rookie season for Washington.

To Florida:
Calvin de Haan
Brock Nelson

To Buffalo:
James Neal
Kyle Capobianco
Radik Simek

In this one I once again get younger, and add two pieces that fit the age group that I'm looking to build here. I end up trading two AHL D-men in the deal since I needed to clear out from the 13 I had in the farm. Capobianco hurts to move since he had a great first season in the AHL but with my depth in prospects at d I could afford to move him.

[SuperMatt18]

If I look back to when I took over the team I feel like I have done a good job of converting one of the oldest teams in the league, with little prospect/pick depth to one of the youngest with decent young talent.

In total:

Leaving Florida
1st Overall (Rasmus Dahlin)
Patric Hornqvist
Nick Leddy
Brayden McNabb
Roman Polak
Troy Brouwer
Tyler Bozak
Loui Eriksson
Codi Ceci
Drake Caggiula
Zachary Senyshyn
Jeremy Lauzon
Jackob Forsbacka-Karlsson
Kyle Capobianco
2019 2nd Round Draft Choice
2020 2nd Round Draft Choice

Coming To Florida
6th Overall (Evan Bouchard)
Aaron Ekblad
Nino Niederreiter
Calvin De Haan
Brock Nelson
Adam Lowry
Ryan Murray
Jimmy Vesey
Matt Stajan
Christian Djoos
Ivan Barbashev
Dante Fabbro
Nicolas Hague
Nick Merkley
Frederic Allard
Cam Hillis
2020 1st (NYI)
2020 1st (PHX)
2019 3rd Round Draft Choice (CBJ)
2019 3rd Round Draft Choice (NJ)
2019/2020 3rd Round Pick (NYR)