SUNRISE, Fla. -- After working the phone lines and doing their due diligence, the cap-crunched Florida Panthers ended up standing pat as the NHL's trade deadline came and went on Friday.
"It's a grind," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. "Our staff is thorough. For every minute possibility that you're researching -- character, health, stats -- [they look at] everything about that particular person. Although we didn't end up doing anything, it was certainly a lot of work."
'We don't quit': Panthers ready to keep pushing after trade deadline
With 19 games left to play, the Panthers arrived at the deadline just four points behind the New York Islanders for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with one game in hand.
Zito said the Panthers received offers throughout the weeks leading up to the deadline, but at no point did the benefits of the proposed deals merit the sting of giving up on the playoff push.
With the majority of their players already locked into multi-year contracts, the Panthers also entered the deadline with only a few pending free agents that could've been viewed as trade chips.
When asked about defenseman Radko Gudas in particular, Zito said initial extension talks have occurred.
"We've spent a lot of time and a lot of effort trying to get our culture moving forward in the right direction," Zito said. "One thing we were mindful of is that we didn't want to quit on the group. We're in a tenuous situation, no question. But the room believes, and I believe in the room. We're not going to quit on the team and we're not going to quit on the fans that believe in us."
Despite not being able to make external additions, Zito believes that internal additions will provide the Panthers with a boost down the home stretch. In addition to forward Anthony Duclair recently making his season debut, the team's top-two centers, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett, are expected to return from injuries and be back in action as early as Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"I can tell you the truth that I'm confident they can do it," Zito said of the playoff push. "If you tell me intellectually, 'Oh well, the odds are this.' OK, they are. People have overcome far greater odds than what we're facing. One thing I do know is that we don't quit."
Matthew Tkachuk shared that same sentiment following Friday's practice.
"Our deadline acquisitions could be Benny and Barky coming up soon," the Panthers All-Star forward said. "That excites me and the rest of the group. … I'm very confident in this group."
While the focus still very much remains on this season, Zito did also take questions on the future during his post-deadline media availability. After being at the mercy of the cap last summer, the Panthers are expected to have much more space at their disposal in 2023-24.
Looking at the current roster, Barkov (2029-30), Tkachuk (2029-30), Sergei Bobrovsky (2025-26), Spencer Knight (2025-26) Aaron Ekblad (2024-25), Brandon Montour (2023-24), Gustav Forsling (2023-24), Sam Reinhart (2023-24), Josh Mahura (2023-24) Bennett (2024-25), Carter Verhaeghe (2024-25), Anthony Duclair (2023-24), Eetu Luostarinen (2023-24), Anton Lundell (2023-24) and Ryan Lomberg (2023-24) are all already signed through at least the next season.
And despite the team's current place in the standings, that group has helped the Panthers secure some of the best underlying numbers in the NHL as they currently rank third in Corsi for percentage (54.01%) and fifth in expected goals percentage (53.57%) at 5-on-5, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.
"There's tremendous value in security knowing we have our core together," Zito said. "What do we need to do to move forward to be better? What is the cost? And then we have to make sure that the cost doesn't outweigh the benefit. The extended contracts on the books, that's exactly what we need to do. We need to do it delicately and do it the right way."
With a strong core and a plan in place, Zito and the Panthers will continue to stick to their guns.
"We didn't want to make moves just to make moves," Zito said of the deadline. "It's important that if we do it, we have to be right. … We have a plan. We're going to stick to our plan and not overreact to what other people do."