Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
No concern about trading
Team officials have said they won’t upset core as deadline looms
SUNRISE — Despite losing three games in a row, the Florida Panthers remain in the thick of the playoff race.
The players know that if acting general manager Dale Tallon pulls the trigger on a trade before the deadline at 3 p.m. today he will be a buyer, not a seller. Tallon and coach Tom Rowe have said that they’re not going to disturb their core, and if they do add offensive depth to the roster, it will be by parting with draft picks and not players off their 22-man roster.
So the players were relaxed Tuesday morning while preparing for the Carolina Hurricanes, the 15th-place team in the Eastern Conference who have been selling, not buying. The Hurricanes recently traded veteran defensman Ron Hainsey to Pittsburgh for a prospect and draft pick.
Most of the Panthers took their option and skipped morning skate. Instead they played mini-soccer in the bowels of the BB&T Center and watched video from their 5-0 road trip.
“Dale’s been working the phones pretty good to see if there’s something he can do, but right now it’s real quiet,’’ Rowe said after skate. “I like this group a lot. If we add some depth we’re not losing any bodies off the roster. We’re just looking to add some depth.’’
Last year the Panthers, in the midst of a franchise-record 103-point season, added
three veterans at the deadline, including forwards Teddy Purcell and Jiri Hudler, as well as defenseman Jakub Kindl.
Two seasons ago they added 43-year-old Jaromir Jagr, and three years ago they reacquired goalie Roberto Luongo at the deadline. Those moves have certainly worked out well.
Only Kindl remains on the roster as the seventh or extra defenseman. Among veteran forwards with expiring contracts who are expected to draw interest from the Panthers or other teams in the playoff hunt are Coyotes’ Radim Vrbata, Stars’ Patrick Sharp, Avs’ Jarome Iginla and Red Wings’ Thomas Vanek.
The Panthers have already passed on veteran forwards such as Brian Boyle, Patrick Eaves and Alexandre Burrows, who have all been moved recently.
“There’s a lot of emotions that come around on this day,’’ said Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle, who was dealt from the Coyotes to the Rangers 24 hours before the trade deadline day two seasons ago. “As a player you can’t control it, so you just try not to think about it too much.
“Obviously, we love our group here and definitely have the pieces, but that’s not my decision . ... This is probably the first time I’ve been on a team where it hasn’t been talked about too much. It’s a good thing it hasn’t crept into our locker room. There isn’t a guy talking about it. Just come in here and go to work.’’
The Panthers will be in the air flying from Fort Lauderdale to Philadelphia Wednesday afternoon for their game against the Flyers on Thursday, so they’ll have to monitor trade news on their phones, and not NHL Network.
“Everyone is so close and we still feel we have a great team and the whole East is wide open,’’ said Panthers forward Jussi Jokinen, who has been traded twice on or near the deadline. “Anything can happen, so it’s tough. If we make the playoffs we feel we can go all the way. But the first thing is you have to make the playoffs.
“It’s up to management; it’s their job to decide what they’re going to do, so obviously you don’t know what’s going to happen. They have to do what’s best for the organization for the long term and short term. .. We’ll be in the [air].’’
The Panthers’ braintrust believes their best moves was getting top-line forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov back on Feb. 3 from long-term injury layoffs. They also attempted to bolster the offense that has produced just eight goals in the past four games on Monday, by recalling rookie center Denis Malgin from their AHL affiliate.
Rowe said Malgin will play on the third line with Nick Bjgustad and Jonathan Marchessault, while Michael Sgarbossa will drop down to the fourth line with Derek MacKenzie and Colton Sceviour. Shawn Thornton will be a healthy scratch.