Post by Florida Panthers on Sept 20, 2024 18:12:16 GMT -6
After a magical postseason that saw the Florida Panthers capture their first Stanley Cup over the Vegas Golden Knights, the two league powerhouses' paths couldn't have been more different.
Thanks to brilliant roster management by GM Tom Jervis, Vegas was ideally positioned to bring back their entire roster and then some, while Florida stared down the barrel of their all-in approach at the 2024 trade deadline. Star players like Zach Hyman, Drew Doughty, Jakub Voracek, Nikolaj Ehlers and Juuse Saros all found new homes in the offseason, while Panthers captain Leon Draisaitl switched allegiances in a shock trade that saw him put on Vegas's colours for 2024-25.
In fact, it was the strength of Vegas's intact roster that compelled Cats GM Jay Seo to move Draisaitl to the Golden Knights for a package of assets that later turned into Barrett Hayton, Anton Silayev, Zac Jones and a plethora of draft picks. While Draisaitl's absence will ripple throughout the organisation, it was a necessary move for a club that struck gold with a risky all-or-nothing approach, but found itself with no assets to sustain the franchise beyond next season.
As for now, the Panthers will start the 2024-25 season with a much weaker roster that will face stiff competition for an Atlantic Division playoff spot. If there's one thing that's obvious, however, it's that you should never try and predict the unpredictable Panthers.
