They're currently on the outside looking in at the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It's a far cry from this time last season, when the Panthers were competing with the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in the Atlantic Division.
However, the Panthers (27-23-6) have the talent and have won four of five following a 2-1 shootout victory at the Minnesota Wild on Monday. They have seven games remaining before the NHL Trade Deadline on March 3.
So, with where things stand, should the Panthers be buyers or sellers at the deadline? That's the question before NHL.com staff writers Tracey Myers and Amalie Benjamin in this installment of State Your Case.
Myers: OK, here's another tough one. The Panthers are close, but I don't feel optimistic about them getting into the playoffs and think they should be sellers. They have 60 points, one behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have four games in hand, for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference, which has been incredibly competitive this season. Even if they found a way to sneak in, I don't think they go far. Forward Matthew Tkachuk has been what the Panthers wanted when they acquired him in the offseason but I'm very wary of their goaltending; both Spencer Knight and Sergei Bobrovsky have goals-against averages of more than 3.00. You're struggling there now, it usually just gets worse in the postseason, which hasn't been kind to Bobrovsky most of his career. It's not there this season. Sell.
Benjamin: Good points there, Tracey, but I'm buying if I'm the Panthers. Those three points are surmountable (though I'm a little leery of the fact that the Penguins have three games in hand), but I think the Panthers have to go for it, much like another team in their position, the New York Islanders. The Islanders acquired Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks, despite trailing the Penguins, and they're making a go of it. The Panthers continue to have the potential, even though games are slipping away, and you simply never know what is going to happen in the playoffs. There have been signs of life from the Panthers of late -- including a big pre-All-Star break overtime win against the Boston Bruins -- and general manager Bill Zito isn't usually shy. To me, that lines up for a buy.
Myers: Yeah, there have been better signs lately and I was impressed by the Islanders getting Horvat. But I'm not sure that's going to get the Islanders where they want to be this season, either (sorry, I'm digressing. That's another potential State Your Case). Anyway, back to the Panthers. Give 38-year-old Eric Staal a better shot at one more Stanley Cup with another team. As far as acquiring assets or picks, see what forward Sam Reinhart could possibly fetch you on the market. It's not as if the Panthers are in a bad way or have to rebuild. They just need a little sprucing up, a bit of retooling to have a better chance of winning over the next couple of seasons. I just think it's more likely than it is now.
Benjamin: I get that. It's truly a fine line for the Panthers. And either way could bring regrets. But I think part of why I feel like the Panthers should be buyers is that I'm not convinced about two of the teams ahead of them -- the Penguins and Washington Capitals. I'm just not sure either will close the deal, leaving room for one of those teams not currently in a playoff spot. That includes the Panthers. So, should they be able to swing it, a defenseman with term -- those grow on trees, right? -- could be a huge piece now and in that future that you mention. Beefing up their defense would make things easier on Bobrovsky and Knight and could be the thing that puts all the puzzle pieces together this season. So, if I'm Zito, I go for it. We'll see what the actual GM decides to do over the next few weeks.
