Zito spoke to Panthers play-by-play voice Steve Goldstein during Florida's Opening Night broadcast

Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito is entering his fourth season at the helm of the franchise.

There is no arguing his impressive track record.

The Panthers have reached the postseason in each of his three years, reaching further each time and seemingly progressing as a cup contending team to be taken seriously.

That has come while Florida has seen significant roster turnover and had to maneuver a complete change of a coaching regime.

Zito’s hard work has not gone unnoticed on the NHL’s grander stage. He has been a finalist for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year award twice during his three years in Florida’s front office.

On Thursday, during the Panthers Opening Night broadcast on Bally Sports Florida, Zito joined play-by-play voice Steve Goldstein for a quick back-and-forth on the current state of the team.

Here are Zito’s comments:

On rookie Mackie Samoskevich:

“Kudos to the amateur scouts, Shane Churla and his staff. They were very, very certain when we took him. He did a great job at Michigan and he’s come in here and he’s earned it. He made the team.”

On the impact of Matthew Tkachuk has in South Florida:

“We know what's been talked about what he does on the ice, but in the room, his leadership, and also in our hockey community, in the greater Broward community, he gets it. He’s genuine, he’s sincere, and he is that kind of person that you think he is. The boys love him, he loves the boys and it's a great addition on all levels.”

On Florida’s defensive corps:

“We’ve got a couple of the big guys who are out and we have to play D by committee. I really liked Ekman-Larsson. He is a pretty well-known commodity and he’s played pretty well. And now we have Uvis Balinskis, and again, credit to our scouting staff who found him in Europe and brought them over and he seems to be doing pretty well.”

On building a roster of high-character players:

“We're blessed. We have this growing culture that we're trying to nurture and trying to make sure that we bring the right people in who are not just going to fit, but also in their own way are going to help grow it themselves. It seems we've been very, very fortunate.”

Zito on what he wants to see from Spencer Knight in AHL Charlotte:

“A great big smile. Have fun. We have a luxury, and some people don't understand this, we have a luxury that Spencer Knight doesn't have to pass through waivers. So every game down there that he can play, it's just him getting better, him getting more experience. He’s a young goalie, so ironically, it worked perfectly. It's great for him. He can play hockey, he's ready when we need him, and we move forward.”

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