Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Panthers steal a March
SUNRISE — After morning skate Thursday in the BB&T Center, Panthers interim coach Tom Rowe put on his general manager’s hat and said the offseason signing of free-agent right wing Jonathan Marchessault was the “best contract in hockey.”
About nine hours later, Marchessault added credence to Rowe’s claim by scoring two goals in 26 seconds to propel the Panthers to a 3-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes to keep their scant playoff hopes alive.
“He’s the purest goalscorer we have,” Rowe said after the game.
Marchessault, who was signed away from the Lightning on July 1 for $1.5 million over two years, leads the team with 25 goals to go with 45 points, including six game-winning goals. He also leads the Panthers with seven power-play goals and 16 power-play points, while being tied for second with a shot percentage of 14.5 — which is .10 behind Aleksander Barkov’s 14.6.
Perhaps the most impressive statistic from the 5-foot-9 French Canadian are his 100 hits, third most on the team, as well as clubleading 60 steals. However, his minus-19 ice rating is second worst among forwards.
“I’m not shocked he was able to get 20-plus goals,” Rowe said. “What shocked me a little bit was how nasty he could get. He’s like [5-10 Vincent] Trocheck. He doesn’t take any crap from anybody, which is what we love about him.
“What he’s got to do is get his defensive game better because right now it’s sub-par, not good enough, and he knows that. We Scouting report: talked about it. He’s going to be a key fixture for us next year and he’s going to be here for awhile, and I think we got him on the best contract in hockey.
“I told him [Wednesday], good for us because we got you again next year at [$750,000], and expect you to get 30 goals.”
Rowe praised the efforts of co-assistant managers Steve Werier and Eric Joyce for landing the undrafted 26-year-old Marchessault from the Lightning, where he had difficulty getting ice time among their top-heavy skilled, diminutive forwards.
On Friday morning, Rowe said the team had not discussed a possible contract extension for Marchessault, but did not rule it out.
“He’s only done it one year,” Rowe said. “We’d have to talk as a group and then talk to ownership about it, but he’s definitely a guy we like a lot. But this is a dog-eat-dog business.”
If Marchessault does duplicate his effort from this season, he may hit free agency as a coveted player.
“That’s the risk you take,” Rowe said. “I’m not saying we’re not going to try and extend him. It’s just we have not talked about it, and we won’t talk about that stuff until after the season’s over.”
Marchessault, who had toiled in the AHL for the Rangers, Blue Jackets and Lightning, was expected to add depth to the Panthers’ third line, but surpassing his previous career high of seven goals last season by 18 with nine games to go was more than Florida had bargained for.
He seems comfortable on his recently formed line of Nick Bjugstad and deadline pickup Thomas Vanek. After sniping his third multiple-goal outing of the season and career, Marchessault was asked if he believed he could ever be a 25-goal scorer in the NHL.
“No,” he said. “Nobody knew if I would even make junior, or to play pro and to play in the NHL. It’s been a roller-coaster for me in my career. It has been fun. I’m just trying to bring my best effort every night and see where we are after every night.
“I had a good chance with this team and it’s been fun playing with the guys this year.”