Florida has traded much of its recent top draft capital and must find value in unconventional places
A busy week of NHL transactions is about to commence.
The fun begins Wednesday and Thursday in Nashville, where the 2023 NHL Draft is being held.
Then two days later, on Saturday, July 1, free agency opens.
Teams will be scurrying to make themselves better than they were at the end of last season, and among them will be the Florid Panthers.
General Manager Bill Zito and his staff will have an interesting task, adding skill and depth to a mostly returning roster that just went to the Stanley Cup Final.
The challenge will start with the draft, where Florida has only five selections, none of which are in the first or third round.
The Cats do have some cap space to work this this offseason, just over $11.2 million according to Puckpedia, and it will be interesting to see if Zito swings big or looks to make more modest additions.
Another way the Panthers have looked to add organizational depth is by going global, looking to add free agents who play overseas, or by finding undrafted youngsters here in North America.
“We've had good fortune in restocking in alternate ways,” said Zito.
Florida signed defenseman Uvis Balinskis, a standout player in the Czech Extraliga, and goaltender Ludovic Waeber, who has been an ascending talent in the National League in Switzerland.
It’s an avenue that Florida will continue to travel down when searching for hockey talent.
“Trying to get a couple of free agents, whether college free agents or from Europe, however we can add in other ways where you don't have those (draft) picks,” said Zito while mentioning that Balinskis was the MVP of the Czech league. “We're hoping that that goes well and maybe we can yield another player through that process as well.”
The thing to keep in mind is that Zito has to keep the cupboard full of capable players, and not only at the NHL level.
Beyond the Panthers, Florida’s affiliates in both the AHL and ECHL have found success, and that’s the ultimate goal.
A winning culture, from top to bottom.
Finding and signing players to fill those roles across multiple levels is something Zito is sure to give credit where it is properly due, and that’s Florida’s scouting department.
“I think they have the toughest job in the organization because they're literally traversing the world, trying to find the best talent,” Zito said. “And then they'll rank it, and they'll be ready, wherever we go, to take advantage if it's possible.”