THN Preseason Predictions: Panthers’ success from last season viewed as aberration

Florida captain Sasha Barkov received votes as a potential Sekle Trophy candidate

The Hockey News recently held a preseason poll ahead of the 2023-24 NHL season.

In total, 34 members of the THN staff took part in the survey, including THN Florida’s David Dwork.

There will be a three-part series coming soon from The Hockey News which will dive into the details of the survey, which was actually quite extensive.

In terms of Florida Panthers connections, there were two main ones to highlight.

Under the question “Whose Good Season Was an Aberration,” the Panthers received the second-most votes (4). The Seattle Kraken was the top choice (5).

There are probably not many people in South Florida who are surprised by this.

A team that has been overlooked and dismissed for much of its existence (and for good reason at times) getting little consideration in this situation is as predictable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west.

Things didn’t start coming together for the Panthers until around midway through last season, and even then, getting the results they desired didn’t come easily.

However, once Florida began clicking in first year head coach Paul Maurice’s systems, they became a nearly unstoppable machine that left a path of destruction behind as they rampaged through the best of the Eastern Conference playoff field.

Same players, same systems, more experience.

So go ahead world, and underestimate the Panthers yet again, but you may end up doing so at your own peril.

As for players receiving votes on this topic, as there was no rule that it had to be a player or a team, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was the only one to receive three votes. He's coming off a career-high 104 points last season.

The second Panthers-related subject to underscore was regarding the Selke Trophy and who would benefit most from the retirement of Boston’s Patrice Bergeron.

Panthers captain Sasha Barkov picked up the third-most votes (5). This is another one that comes as no surprise.

Barkov has spent much of his impressive career labeled with the not-so-flattering moniker of the NHL’s most underrated player, but when he finally began entering the league-wide spotlight, it was as a top two-way center.

As good as Barkov was as producing offensively, he was just as good at taking goals away on the other side of the ice.

In 2021, the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association voters agreed, naming the then 25-year-old Barkov winner of the Selke Trophy. He’d also be voted a finalist the following season.

Last season Barkov was not a finalist – he failed to receive a single first place vote – finishing eighth among all vote getters, so him getting a fraction of the recognition from THN’s panel seems on brand.

Nico Hischier received 14 of 34 votes (41%). Next was Mitch Marner with six votes, and after Barkov was Mark Stone with three votes.