Florida's Kyle Okposo had some wise words for the young guns; who's ready to be a dog in the playoffs?
The Stanley Cup playoffs are about finding what you're made of.
It's the reason why Florida and Edmonton got to the finals, and the big part of why the Panthers are one win away from their first-ever title.
But behind the big, strong, grinding Panthers are some great individual players and loud veteran voices.
That includes Kyle Okposo, the former Islander who told reporters Friday many players around the league would be unstoppable in the playoffs.
Dogs, in fact.
One of the stars that fit the mold is center Clayton Keller, the seventh-year pro from the 2016 draft.
He's coming off another 30-goal season, and finally has some support with the emergence of Logan Cooley in that top-six core.
There's no doubt he would be ready for the bright lights of the Stanley Cup playoffs (finally) on his home ice.
He gets better and stronger as the game and season wear on, he wants the puck every time he's on the ice, and he demands a lot from himself.
Now, admittedly, this team is years away from a Cup, maybe even just a spot in the playoffs. If they made the playoffs this year, they'd probably be swept in the first round, but it would be a great learning experience for the young guns.
(Plus, the last time Keller was in the playoffs, they were in a bubble.)
That said, you need your stars to steal a game in the playoffs, and you can count on Keller to do just that -- maybe even steal a Game 7.
So the answer is yes, Clayton Keller is ready for his moment when it comes.
The only question is if the team around him can follow suit.