Named Florida GM on Sept. 2, 2020, Zito oversaw a Panthers team (37-14-5, 79 points) that set several franchise highs en route to a second-place finish in the Discover NHL Central Division and fourth in the League overall. Florida set franchise records in categories including highest points percentage (.705), most goals-per-game (3.36) and most shots-per-game (34.9). Their 2020-21 team puck possession metric SAT was 321, indicating 321 more shot attempts than allowed at 5-on-5; the corresponding 2019-20 figure was -29 and their previous best in a season (since 2009-10) was 173 in 2014-15. Five of the Panthers' top 10 goal-scorers during the regular season were Zito acquisitions via free agency or trade (Carter Verhaeghe, 18; Alex Wennberg, 17; Patric Hornqvist, 14; Anthony Duclair, 10; and trade deadline pickup Sam Bennett, who tallied 6-9--15 in 10 GP down the stretch). Zito is a first-time NHL Awards finalist and the second Panthers GM nominated for the Jim Gregory, following the second-place finish by Dale Tallon in 2011-12. He is the first finalist in his NHL debut season as GM since Ottawa's Pierre Dorion (3rd in 2016-17) and is seeking to become the first rookie GM to capture the award.