Bill Zito has made several key additions to Florida's roster via trades during his tenure as GM
With the NHL offseason now upon us, the Florida Panthers must look to the future.
The team has now established that its ceiling can be as high as any other team in the league. A run to the Stanley Cup Final will have that effect.
General Manager Bill Zito will have some flexibility under the salary cap this offseason, with a little over $10 million to work with, per CapFriendly.
That doesn’t include the potential re-signing of any of Florida’s restricted free agents, a list that includes Colin White and Givani Smith at the NHL level and Grigori Denisenko, Aleksi Heponiemi, Logan Hutsko, Max Gildon and John Ludvig at the two-way prospect level.
There is also the option of trying to retain unrestricted free agents like Radko Gudas, Eric and Marc Staal, Lucas Carlsson, Casey Fitzgerald and Alex Lyon.
The point is, Zito and his staff have some decisions to make, and thanks to being one of the last two teams standing, there's not a ton of time to work through them all.
One thing Zito has shown to be over the years is an active trade participant.
Several of Florida’s core players - Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Brandon Montour - were all brought in via the trade market.
Perhaps some of that cap space will be used to pay someone already under contract instead of signing a player to a new deal.
There is a healthy stock of players that could be available through a trade during the offseason, some of which may end up being dealt before the NHL Draft, which is next week in Nashville.
The Fourth Period put out a summer trade watch list on Monday, and a few of those names could have some relevance in Florida’s realm.
I have three names to keep in mind in the coming days, and NHL insider David Pagnotta from TFP was kind enough to provide his insight and opinion into the potential trade targets.
Alex DeBrincat
It’s been reported that the 25-year-old restricted free agent does not intend to sign an extension with the Ottawa Senators, so now the team is looking for trade partners ahead of a potential arbitration hearing.
Through six NHL seasons, DeBrincat has already scored 160 goals and cracked the 40-goal mark twice.
He’s a dynamic offensive player that would be a welcomed addition to Florida’s top six, but he’s also going to want a long-term deal with an AAV in the realm of $10 million.
In terms of style, DeBrincat has tons of speed and isn’t afraid to get into the dirty areas of the ice. Combine that with a strong work ethic and he would seemingly fit in well with what Paul Maurice asks of his forwards.
Said Pagnotta: “The price tag on DeBrincat isn’t as high as it was last summer when the Senators acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks. Ideally, if Ottawa obtains a winger capable of playing in their top-six as part of a package that includes futures, that would be something they would entertain. Sens GM Pierre Dorion is listening, and DeBrincat is believed to be intrigued at the possibility of playing in Sunrise.”
Erik Karlsson
Florida has been linked to Karlsson for a little while now. The 33-year-old defenseman’s value skyrocketed following a 101-point campaign and likely Norris Trophy this past season.
To be fair, Karlsson finished the year, playing on a poor Sharks team, with a minus-26 rating, and that was despite logging 74 even strength points.
Looking at his production in the seasons leading up to last year’s explosion of points, it’s certainly worth considering whether that kind of production is sustainable.
Going back to 2018-19, Karlsson hadn’t played more than 56 games or accumulated more than 45 points prior to last season’s resurgence.
That consideration is especially warranted when taking into account that Karlsson has four years remaining on a deal that pays an AAV of $11.5 million, though San Jose is reportedly willing to eat at least some of those millions in a potential trade.
For me, this seems like a high risk, high reward type of move.
Aside from last season, Karlsson had a five-year stretch from 2013-14 to 2017-18 in which he put up 74, 55, 82, 71 and 62 points.
If Florida pulls off a move for the veteran rearguard, they’ll have a strong reason to believe that more good times lie ahead.
Said Pagnotta: “In the first half of the season, the Sharks and Panthers briefly discussed a Karlsson move. I wouldn’t be shocked if this gets revisited, but any move involving the Swede with any team will come down to how much money San Jose is willing to retain. They were reluctant to go higher than $4 million during the season, but I’m curious if they have more of an appetite now to eat closer to $5 million per year. With four years left on his contract, that’s a tough pill to swallow, but the Sharks are rebuilding and don’t need to utilize the bulk of their cap space for a few seasons.”
Joel Edmundson
Edmundson, who will be 30 later this month, is entering the final year of a deal that pays an AAV of $3.5 million.
He has size, at 6-foot-5, 221 lbs., and knows how to use it while providing minutes as a responsible defender in his own end.
He’s an excellent shot blocker that can also provide help on the penalty kill.
Montreal was reportedly asking for a first-round pick for Edmundson at the trade deadline, but if a reasonable deal can be struck, he could be a solid addition to Florida’s back line.
Said Pagnotta: “Zito and Habs GM Kent Hughes are familiar with one another on the trade front having worked out a deal involving Ben Chiarot in a move that gave Montreal Florida’s first-round pick, 31st overall, in this month’s NHL Draft. Edmundson would do well on a Cup contender and brings championship pedigree with him, having won the title in St. Louis. He comes with a solid cap hit and this type of move, not necessarily Edmundson specifically, is something Zito will surely be looking at this summer.”