Hype coming together, now club needs to execute

SUNRISE — Holding court at the head of a conference room table inside the BB&T Center, Florida Panthers President and CEO Matthew Caldwell sounded a bit like the lead character from the “ATeam.”

One of the stars from the hit 80’s TV show, ‘Face’ was known for his ubiquitous catchphrase, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

After missing the playoffs for the 16th time in 18 seasons, the Panthers had a clear offseason plan centering around two free agent targets — Joel Quenneville and Sergei Bobrovski. Acting swiftly, Florida was successful in its mission, landing the second-winningest coach in NHL history and one of the league’s top goalies.

“It’s been everything we planned for the offseason,” Caldwell said. “Usually it doesn’t go this way because there are 30 other teams going after the players you want or coaches you want.

“Now it’s just time to execute.”

With the Panthers set to begin training camp Friday morning, there was legitimate excitement and anticipation emanating from the team’s media day in Sunrise. Pairing the summer additions with their talented returning core featuring Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad, the Panthers are hoping the pieces are finally in place for a playoff run.

While the franchise has traditionally struggled to captivate the South Florida

market — Florida posted the NHL’s second-worst attendance last season (13,261) — fans are slowly beginning to buy in. Caldwell said season ticket sales are the highest they’ve been since the team’s ownership group led by Vinnie Viola and Doug Cifu took over in 2013. The Panthers CEO said the team has around roughly 7,500 season ticket holders — up from around 3,000 when the current regime bought the franchise.

“Season ticket holders, sponsors — everybody is talking about us,” Caldwell said. “It’s just amazing. In the five years I’ve been here, I’ve never felt buzz like this.”

While there’s a been noticeable surge in excitement around the Panthers, Caldwell is well aware of the narrative and perception surrounding the team. In recent years, the team has entered the season with high expectations yet failed to live up to the hype.

“I think we’ve captured all the really loyal, great fans who have seen the things we’ve done,” Caldwell said. “There’s still a bunch of casual fans out there who are saying ‘Alright, let’s see if you actually win now too.’

“These are all great headlines, but until you get out and perform there’s a whole group of people who want to see that execution.”

After being mired in mediocrity for the past two decades, the Panthers made a sizable financial commitment this offseason. Quenneville will make a reported $5.25 million per season over the next six seasons as the team’s coach. Bobrovski was signed to a seven-year, $70 million contract to anchor the Panthers in net. Overall, the Panthers have the seventh-highest payroll in the NHL.

Caldwell said even with a deep playoff run the team will likely take a financial loss.

“The way it works is the the more you win and get into the playoffs, it catapults you for the next season,” said Caldwell, who cited the team’s spike in ticket sales following its playoff appearance in the 2015-16 season.

Given the current state of the South Florida sports landscape, the Panthers have a golden opportunity to seize the market if they start the season hot. The Dolphins and Marlins are both among the worst in their respective leagues. The Heat failed to make the playoffs last season and lost star Dwyane Wade to retirement. The University of Miami is 0-2. With every major team struggling, South Florida could jump on the Panthers train — if they live up to expectations.

“It’s hard not to notice that this is a great opportunity for us,” Caldwell said. “We’ve traditionally been a team a little bit in the backseat. Always trying to turn it around and get better.

“Now I think the taking is right there for us.”