GM Tallon says Vegas’ success was great for hockey.
The Florida Panthers didn’t make the NHL playoffs. But that didn’t stop much of the hockey world from talking about them.
As the expansion Vegas Golden Knights won the Western Conference and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, they did so partly because of mistakes made by Panthers decision-makers. In November 2016, Florida fired coach Gerard Gallant, paving the way for him to latch on with the Golden Knights.
Last summer, the franchise left Jonathan Marchessault unprotected during the expansion draft and traded Reilly Smith to Vegas for a fourth-round pick (eventually used by the Panthers to help acquire Mike Hoffman). Marchessault and Smith formed two-thirds of one of the best lines in hockey as they combined for 49 goals and 86 assists.
Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon said he was happy watching Vegas’ run.
“I like to see guys have success that I know and like,” Tallon said on a conference call Tuesday morning. “I liked all those guys, so it was good. It was good for the game. It was a great story.”
Vegas also hired a host of other Panthers coaches and staff members. Assistant coach Mike Kelly and video coach Tommy Cruz were once in Florida, as were director of amateur scouting Scott Luce, pro scout Jim McKenzie and amateur scout Erin Ginnell.
The Golden Knights finished the regular season with 109 points, winning the Pacific Division. The Panthers, plagued by a lack of consistent scoring depth, missed the playoffs by one point despite racking up 96 points. It was the third-best regular season in Florida’s franchise history.
In discussing his team’s philosophy and lineup construction, Tallon referenced
Vegas, which used all four lines instead of relying on a few star players.
“If you have four lines that can do it and still not get scored against, then you’re better off,” Tallon said. “It’s hard to do in today’s cap world to keep four lines and have your fourth line score. Usually, that’s the lower payroll guys. Ideally, if you could make it work and have four lines that are equal, that makes it tough to defend against.”
Last season, Florida’s fourth line of Micheal Haley, Derek MacKenzie and Colton Sceviour was the third-most used trio by the Panthers and coach Bob Boughner. They combined for 17 goals and 30 assists while MacKenzie and Sceviour also played on Florida’s penalty kill unit. Haley, meanwhile, led the league with 22 fights.
“I think you need some energy and you need guys that can kill penalties and play a defensive role, a shutdown role in the last minutes of games as well,” Tallon said. “That’s Boogie’s philosophy as far as what he wants to do with the fourth line. It’d be nice to have all four lines be the same, but that’s kind of what Vegas had. They had four really good lines.”
“I like to see guys have success that I know and like.” Panthers GM Dale Tallon