[Rumour] Panthers to hire CBJ AGM Bill Zito as new GM

[TheScorpion]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1291817760285249537

Not surprised given how ineffective the Panthers have been under his management. That Bobrovsky contract is horrible.

[Enoch Root]

wow, the corpse is still warm

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Uh yeah...it's time.

He was an emergency re-hire because the two young stats-based guys they hired made some of the stupidest moves in franchise history.

Dale said "hold my beer".

[Roof-Daddy]

I wonder if they tear it down.

[blankall]

Something's gotta give.

It's baffling that a team with that much talent is so so bad.

[Geeoff]

Panthers have some great building blocks. Shouldn't be hard to turn around. Plus, next year is Bobrovsky's good year

[AustinL_NHL]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Uh yeah...it's time.

He was an emergency re-hire because the two young stats-based guys they hired made some of the stupidest moves in franchise history.

Dale said "hold my beer".

What moves did they make that were so bad?

The Keith Yandle and Jared McCann trades were arguably Tom Rowe's biggest moves and they both paid off great

[Cali Panthers Fan]

It wasn't all bad, but Tallon's big moves have been catastrophic. I still have no ####ing clue why he traded away the Vincent Trocheck, who was the motor for the entire team and a productive 2nd line center. His give a #### attitude was sorely needed, and the team needed more of that, not less.

Tallon has been pretty good at assessing poor or diminishing talent and getting rid of them for assets overall, but intentionally giving away both Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchesseault, and then trading away Trocheck...just unforgivable.

That's not getting into the Bobrovsky deal, or even the Yandle one as far as I'm concerned. Those were two massive overpays over the long term.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Uh yeah...it's time.

He was an emergency re-hire because the two young stats-based guys they hired made some of the stupidest moves in franchise history.

Dale said "hold my beer".

Those guys made one really bad move (firing Gallant), but they actually made some really good moves to set up the team with some good contract signings.

Outlined it the other day in a different thread.

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Computer boys were the ones that fired Gallant.

Tallon was the one that made the questionable roster moves to rid the team of anybody the Computer Boys brought in.

-Trading Smith and Marchessault to Vegas to protect Petrovic in the expansion draft
-Traded Jason Demers (who has been good in Arizona) for Jamie McGinn
- Traded McCann and Bjugstad to Pittsburgh for nothing really
- Didn't get a good return for Trocheck

Rowe and the "Computer Boys" actually made some good moves in their 10 months in charge, with the only real black mark being firing Gallant.

Trades:
McCann, 2nd, 4th for Gudbranson, 5th
Packaged Bolland and Crouse for 2nd & 3rd to get rid of Bolland's contract

Signings:
Ekblad - 8 x $7.5M
Yandle - 7 x $6.4M
Huberdeau - 6 x $5.9M
Smith - 5 x $5M
Trocheck - 6 x $4.75M
Demers - 5 x $4.5M
Reimer - 5 x $3.4M

Those contracts are all actually decent. Ekblad, Huberdeau, Trocheck were core players locked up at good RFA prices. Yandle has been a 50 pt top pairing guy for the Panthers, Smith put up 50 points in year 1, had a down year in year two and then Tallon lost his mind in the expanson draft.

Demers is a bit overpaid but he's been good for Arizona as a top 4 dman averaging 20 minutes a game. Even the Reimer deal wasn't that bad, he went .920 and .913 his first two seasons in Florida, then had a down year at .900 and Tallon decided to trade him for Scott Darling so they could sign Bobrovsky. And now Reimer was great in Carolina this season.

[agulati]

Some of Tallon's decisions have really left the Panthers shallow in all positions (Exposing Marchessault and Smith for VGK, trading Trochek, some of the UFA contracts etc)) Makes sense that this move is taking place.

Panthers do have a pretty good base with Barkov, Huberdeau, Ekblad and Bobrovsky (Albeit overpaid). They have a solid coach behind the bench as well.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by AustinL_NHL

What moves did they make that were so bad?

The Keith Yandle and Jared McCann trades were arguably Tom Rowe's biggest moves and they both paid off great

A completely finished Jiri Hudler for a 2nd and a 4th round pick.

Reto Berra for Rocco Grimaldi (guess who's still playing)

Pysyk for Kulikov. Kulikov is still a 2nd pair defender and Pysyk, who is younger, couldn't hack it as a 3rd pair defender and was asked to play winger.

3rd round pick in return for dumping Dave Bolland's LTIR contract with a young prospect named Lawson Crouse. Crouse has done pretty well in Arizona.

Dylan McIlrath for Steven Kampfer AND a 7th round pick. McIlrath played all of 5 games for the Panthers before being shipped to Detroit for Vanek. Kampfer isn't much better, but he at least contributed to Boston.


In a short amount of time, they bled picks and prospects for much worse players.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Those guys made one really bad move (firing Gallant), but they actually made some really good moves to set up the team with some good contract signings.

Outlined it the other day in a different thread.

To me, firing Gallant is a critical error. They gave him no room to turn the club around and fired him on a whim without any real plan to replace him. He had just come off a 100+ point season with the club and they were primed to improve.

I don't entirely disagree with their talent assessment, and their contracts were pretty good, but they gutted the team when they fired Gallant. They were just never the same after that.

[AustinL_NHL]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

A completely finished Jiri Hudler for a 2nd and a 4th round pick.

Reto Berra for Rocco Grimaldi (guess who's still playing)

Pysyk for Kulikov. Kulikov is still a 2nd pair defender and Pysyk, who is younger, couldn't hack it as a 3rd pair defender and was asked to play winger.

3rd round pick in return for dumping Dave Bolland's LTIR contract with a young prospect named Lawson Crouse. Crouse has done pretty well in Arizona.

Dylan McIlrath for Steven Kampfer AND a 7th round pick. McIlrath played all of 5 games for the Panthers before being shipped to Detroit for Vanek. Kampfer isn't much better, but he at least contributed to Boston.


In a short amount of time, they bled picks and prospects for much worse players.

Tallon was still GM for the Hudler trade

Fair. I'll give you that one.

Kulikov is a possession drag and was forced to play 20 minutes a night this year because the Jets have no one else on D. His contract was horrible the moment he signed with Winnipeg

Bolland I'm confident had more to do with the owners than anything else. Plus, Crouse isn't someone to lose sleep over. Would be best suited as a 4th-liner on a good team.

That last one is a wash. The most valuable asset in that trade was the 7th round pick lol. In the 4 years since that trade, Kampfer and McIlrath have combined for 11 points (all from Kampfer) in 100 games and provide nothing defensively. Vanek had 10 points in 20 games for the Panthers.

[868904]

Is this where Chayka ends up? They all think along the same lines.

[AustinL_NHL]

Originally Posted by 868904

Is this where Chayka ends up? They all think along the same lines.

The analytics community has never and will never accept Chayka as one of their own.

[TheScorpion]

No I believe the rumour was Chayka is in line for a big gig with the Devils' parent org

[Cali Panthers Fan]

I'm just in awe because Tallon had started to assemble a good team when he was replaced. Then the computer boys did some good things, but one really, really terrible thing. Then the owner panics and hires Tallon back to replace them. Then Tallon goes on to make some of the worst decisions since Mike Milbury.

They should be a good team, but they just haven't been for far too long. Management is a key problem, so I hope to god they find a good one this time.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

To me, firing Gallant is a critical error. They gave him no room to turn the club around and fired him on a whim without any real plan to replace him. He had just come off a 100+ point season with the club and they were primed to improve.

I don't entirely disagree with their talent assessment, and their contracts were pretty good, but they gutted the team when they fired Gallant. They were just never the same after that.

It was at the time but I'd almost guarantee he wouldn't still be there anyways.

Tallon has a quick trigger and if it wasn't those guys than I'm sure he would have done it at some point anyways.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

I wonder if they tear it down.

Maybe because Barkov is Finnish he'll want to live in our Arctic climate.

Barkov for Johnny + Kylington let's go.

[Erick Estrada]

This was past due. It's time for the NHL to move on from relics like Tallon. I'm glad that I won't have to see his smug face in another draft lottery.