Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers are not an elite NHL franchise. 

They do not garner anywhere close to the same amount of attention received by Eastern Conference teams such as the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals or New Jersey Devils. 

However, the Panthers have spent the past few weeks undergoing a complete overhaul of what was once an abysmal franchise.

Florida has not made a playoff appearance since 2000 and has only three to their credit since entering the NHL in 1993. In the years since that last playoff appearance, the Panthers have finished no higher than fourth in the Southeast Division all but twice. 

While some question the validity of professional hockey in Florida, the Panthers have done very little to seal their place as a recognized NHL franchise.

That is, until now.

Panthers GM Dale Tallon has been incredibly busy this offseason making trades, extending contracts and signing free agents to bolster what was once a meager and almost forgotten team. 

One of those moves was to sign a new head coach in Kevin Dineen. 

Dineen had spent six years coaching the Panthers' AHL affiliate Portland Pirates.  While his NHL coaching experience is yet nonexistent, Tallon expects Dineen will be the man for the job.

"The minute I met Kevin, I knew he was the guy," Panthers GM Dale Tallon said. "This is the man for the job. I'm excited about our future now."

More importantly for both Tallon and the Panthers was the subsequent acquisitions of several players who should immediately bolster their team's defense and scoring capability.

Perhaps one of the biggest moves Tallon made was the trade for Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell in exchange for Rostislav Olesz. 

Campbell, one of the elite offensive defensemen in the league today, provides the Panthers with a considerable power play threat, as well as a player known for his skating and scoring abilities.  Tallon knew Campbell well while he was the GM of the Blackhawks and felt confident enough in his abilities to execute the trade. 

On the first day of free agency, Tallon's biggest move was to sign center Tomas Fleischmann to a four-year deal worth $18 million.  He also traded for Flyers winger Kris Versteeg, whom the Panthers will hope to anchor a second or perhaps third line. The Panthers also pounced on long-time defensive force Ed Jovanovski who will, along with Campbell, add to the scoring threat from the blue line.

In addition to Campbell, Fleischmann, Versteeg and Jovanovski, the Panthers also signed Tomas Kopecky, Scottie Upshall, Sean Bergenheim, Jose Theodore and Matt Bradley. They also traded for the talented two-way winger Sergei Shirokov, who had not seen much playing time in the talent-abundant Vancouver Canucks organization.

"This is by far the most we've done since I've been here. This is change that's been needed. It's going to be a brand-new team, guys have a lot to prove. This is awesome to see. I want to be part of this process. I know things are going to change around here. These guys want to win. Man, it's exciting," Panthers winger David Booth said.

Regardless of the hype surrounding the transactions Tallon and the Panthers have executed, ends will still have to justify the means.

There remains a question of depth with this team and a number of new Panthers, including Fleischmann and Jovanovski, who are known to be injury prone.

In addition, some of the larger contracts paid out to players like Campbell and Fleischmann could haunt the Panthers in future years as they continue to retool for the future.

Lastly, most experts around the NHL would still regard both Washington and Tampa Bay as the top dogs in the Southeast Conference. Despite said efforts by Florida, the talent levels of the Capitals and Lightning far exceed that of the Panthers at this point.

Nonetheless, Tallon and the Panthers have reason to be excited for the upcoming season. The Panthers should be able to legitimately compete for a playoff spot this year, if not necessarily a division championship.  Furthermore, the notable acquisitions have finally put this Florida franchise back on the map where Panthers fans hope it will stay for a long time.

The Florida Panthers rebuild is steaming full speed ahead.  GM Dale Tallon and assistant GM Mike Santos have their "blueprint" and are completely reshaping the team. 

The draft last year was a big step forward, and this year's draft also seems to have been a success.  The prospect pool has some great talent in Gudbranson, Markstrom, Howden, Bjugstad, Petrovic and now Huberdeau and Grimaldi. 

If these prospects can live up to the hype or even come close to it then Tallon and co have done a great job scouting.

With Markstrom penciled in as the future franchise goaltender, the Panthers are set in net for years once he breaks into the league, most likely in one to three years.

The defence looks great with Kulikov and Ellerby already on the team and Gudbranson and Petrovic and Colby Robak emerging. 

It would have been great for the Panthers to take Adam Larsson in the draft, but with the other moves Tallon has made this summer on the defence and the lack of offence on the team, he just wasn't needed as much as Huberdeau.

Huberdeau looks like a great player.  I would loved Landeskog to have fallen to us, but all the top propsects look great, so it's still a good pick.  He is coming off an amazing year and with another year in juniors to bulk up he could be a very good building block for the Panthers.

Rocco Grimaldi seems to be a great pick as he was tipped to be a first-round pick.  Hopefully he can turn into this draft's Markstrom and look to be a steal.  With Howden etc already in the system, the Panthers look to have a good crop of offensive players now coming through.

Tallon's next phase was free agency.  It was a record day for the Panthers as they have been completely reshaped and look utterly different now. 

Tomas Vokoun decided he wanted to test free agency, so Tallon nabbed Jose Theodore early on.  He was great for the Capitals a couple years ago and does have a good CV.  It was a very affordable contract at $1.5 million a year for two years. 

Hopefully, he will be a solid goalie until Markstrom can step up.

I was disappointed Vokoun decided to leave.  He said he'd like to return, but given he's signed with the Caps for just $1.5 million, it seems that playoff hockey was what he wanted so fair play to him.  He was great for us and deserves some success in his career.

Ed Jovanovski was then given a four-year deal to return to the team that took him first overall in 1994.  I really like this signing as along with new arrival Brian Campbell, acquired at the draft for underachiever Rostislav Olesz, the young d-men now have some great role models and mentors.  Jovo will be a leader for the team hopefully still produce points. 

Campbell, although overpaid, is a good defenceman and will also help this young team mature.

The Panthers desperately needed forwards and that's what Tallon and co delivered next.  Scottie Upshall, Tomas Fleischmann, Sean Bergenheim, Kris Versteeg, Matt Bradley and Marcel Goc. 

All these players were overpaid, but most players signed early on are.  That's the economics of the modern NHL.  They all have relatively short deals though, so hopefully we won't have major headaches down the road like some teams have done.

The trade for Versteeg was a particular favourite of mine as we only gave up a couple of draft picks.  He was really criticised last year but still put up good numbers. 

I can see that playing for Tallon will help his game and being with Campbell and Tomas Kopecky, acquired and signed just before free agency, will also help. 

To have those guys from the Blackhawks cup winning team can only be a good thing as it will bring experience and other intangibles to the locker room. 

These guys aren't stars, but they are a step up on previous players and some have a great upside.  Tomas Fleischmann stands out and hopefully if he can stay healthy, which the doctors have said he can, then he could be a offensive power for the team. 

Upshall and Versteeg will put up points with increased roles on this team and fingers crossed Bergenheim can finally put up regular points and play like he did in the playoffs for Tampa.  Bradley and Goc are good role players to have and will fill the bottom lines out well.

The Panthers are getting bashed for overpaying but most teams do now.  What a lot of people are forgetting is that we are just under the salary cap floor now with all this investment. 

Many holes have been plugged but with probably another $10 million available we can strengthen even more.  Tallon and Santos have both said more players will be joining.  They have also both said the young prospects will be given every chance to earn a spot. 

Gudbranson seems to ready to step up and possibly Howden too.

Last but certainly not least is the signing of Kevin Dineen as head coach.  This is a great signing.  He has been linked with numerous jobs around the league for a few years now and all the analysis I've read, it seems that it's a home run of a signing. 

Players are excited to play for him and he's had success as a minor league coach and player.  Hopefully he can bring that to the Panthers and mold a hard working, young and exciting team. 

This isn't a team that will win the Cup, but it is a greatly improved team and should contend for a playoff berth within a few years.  If the youngsters can fulfill their potential then I don't see any reason why the team can't achieve success. 

The prospects are very well thought of, and now, hopefully, with the signings made by Tallon the main team can be looked at with respect.

It doesn't take a genius to realize that the Florida Panthers have an uphill battle facing them in the coming years. However, the battle is likely harder to face for Panther fans thanks to the fact that the league's longest playoff drought resides in South Florida.

To be exact, their last playoff appearance was a first-round sweep in 2000 at the hands of New Jersey, and they have one playoff victory since their Stanley Cup Finals run in 1996.

The franchise has been looking for something—anything—to jump-start the on-ice performance in recent years. Despite signs of promise, the Panthers have always found a way back into oblivion among their Eastern Conference foes.

One would feel that the Panthers do have the beginnings to build around.

Stephen Weiss and David Booth have been consistent players in their years with Florida, and although the team traded away forward Nathan Horton to Boston, the team has been able to stockpile its system with great, young talent through the draft.

In fact, hockeysfuture.com has ranked the Panthers second in the NHL in organizational depth.

General manager Dale Tallon has wasted no time this offseason getting down to business in moves with his former club, Chicago, and looks to improve the team starting this season, hoping to bring validity back to the franchise.

Head coach Kevin Dineen replaces Pete DeBoer at the helm, and has a few fresh faces to work with.

In separate trades with the Blackhawks, forward Tomas Kopecky and defenseman Brian Campell were acquired in moves that, quite frankly, prove the Panthers are serious about building a good on-ice product—and doing it as soon as possible.

While both will bring a winning attitude and championship experience, Campbell gives the Panthers an all-around defenseman that the team hasn't seen in quite some time—if ever.

Among areas the club hopes Campbell can help to improve is the power play. The Panthers ranked dead last in power-play productivity last season; Campbell has been a proven threat on the blue line with the man advantage in years past, despite some struggles in Chicago.

Kopecky is a forward who is looking to breakout individually after years of being buried behind the endless depth of his former teams in Chicago and Detroit. He is coming off of his best season statistically in 2010-2011, scoring 42 points in 81 games for the Blackhawks.

The biggest question, or formality, for the Panthers heading into the offseason is the future of goaltender Tomas Vokoun.

Vokoun has been a subject of trade rumors for years because of his status as a very dependable veteran goalie stuck on a team that's not in a playoff race. He is now an unrestricted free agent and many feel that this is his time to bolt out of Florida.

The Panthers can rely on Scott Clemmensen, who has served as a formidable second option in goal, but one would think that the Cats would like another option in front of him and to keep goaltending steady, especially on a team struggling to score that gives up nearly 32 shots per game. 

Are there still needs to be addressed? Absolutely.

Whether or not the Panthers continue to fill needs in a noticeable way this summer remains to be seen, but although the Panthers are a work in progress, the foundation is being laid in a positive manner; the team hopes the improvements will translate into wins sooner rather than later.

History was made at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft during the second round on Saturday. 

Rocco Grimaldi become the shortest player ever selected in the NHL draft when the Florida Panthers selected him 33rd overall. 

At 5'6", 165 pounds, what Grimaldi lacks in size, he more than makes up in character.

Grimaldi is a devout Christian and not afraid to admit it.

Grimaldi reads the bible everyday and even plans on becoming a pastor sometime in his life.

His twitter account (@RGrimaldi23) has numerous posts with inspiring passages of the bible.

He has committed to play for the University of North Dakota next season, and he has already begun looking at churches in the Grand Forks area. 

Open and devout faith is a unique feature for any athlete.  

Some experts have said that this profession of faith is one factor that dropped his draft status into the second round, he was originally projected to be a late first round pick. But Rocco is not going to change his ways, no matter what anyone says.

Faith aside, Grimaldi has the skill to back up his 33rd overall selection. 

He played for the USA Hockey National Team Development program in the USHL (United States Hockey League) where he had 62 points in 50 games.

In the 2009 World Under-17 championships, he finished the tournament with a gold medal and earned the most assists and most points in the tournament.

Rocco was born in Anaheim, Calif., not exactly the typical birthplace for an American prospect, but the lack of competition never stopped him.

In Southern California, Grimaldi played both ice and roller hockey against kids twice his age.

Grimaldi hopes to become a role model for people his size, people from California and people of faith.

This is a tall order, but one he looks foreword to completing. 

He's done pretty well so far. 

Dale Tallon pulled the trigger on another trade with his former team the Chicago Blackhawks. At this year's trade deadline Tallon called up his replacement in Chicago, general manager Stan Bowman, and orchestrated a Michael Frolik and Alex Salak for Jack Skille, Hugh Jessiman and David Pacan trade. If there is any malice felt between Tallon and his former employers, he certainly is not allowing it to effect business.

The Florida Panthers yesterday acquired defenseman Brian Campbell while Chicago picks up left winger Rostislav Olesz.

Campbell is a quality offensive defenseman who, like many of his ilk, has problems with the puck in his own zone. He is a fancy puck mover and good skater. The point shot makes him an excellent power play quarterback. Tallon originally signed him away from the San Jose Sharks in 2008. The general consensus he made Campbell one of the most overpaid players in hockey.

Campbell was a better than half point a game defenseman in Chicago. He was a useful player for the Blackhawks in their run to the Western Conference Finals in 2009 and to the Stanley Cup in 2010.

The biggest knock against Campbell has more to do with his salary than his defensive short-comings.

Campbell is 32 years old this May 23 and has five years left on a contract, paying him $7.142 million a year. That was a huge cap hit for the Stanley Cup winning Blackhawks to absorb even before they won the cup. They have decided they can spend that money better elsewhwere. 

The Blackhawks are saddled with another failed Panther first round pick: Rostislav Olesz (2004, seventh overall). Olesz was picked in between Blake Wheeler, Al Montoya, Alexandre Picard and Ladislav Smid. He doesn't look out of place in that group but he certainly has not become the offensive force the Panthers imagined when they took him.

Olesz is still only 26. His best season was 2009/10 when he scored 14 goals and 29 points in 78 games for the Panthers. Last year he missed half the year with a variety of ailments. Coming back from a broken finger did not help his offense.

While there still is some unrealized potential here the big bonus for Chicago is that he is under contract for only three more years at $3.125 million a year. If he makes the big squad Chicago still saves a $ 4 million a year cap hit and over $26 million total over the life of both contracts. 

In the end this deal works for everyone. Chicago sheds what was an unworkable contract for them. They pick up a young player with potential who will have to compete with a bevvy of younger, cheaper Blackhawk prospects to make the team. If he earns his spot it's a bonus and if doesn't Chicago has even more extra cap space to address needs. 

Maybe the Blackhawks can spend that money on a veteran goalie or another top six forward. By not paying $7 plus million a year for a redundant power play quarterback they have freed themselves up to actually be able to make hockey deals again, not just cap-clearing maneuvers.

The Panthers meanwhile have picked up an exciting offensive defenseman who can competently quarterback their power play for the next half decade. Tallon began his tenure in Florida by trying to fix one of the league's worst defensive and penalty killing squads. Now he is addressing another neglected niche.

The Panthers had the worst power play in the league last year with a 13.1 percent, and I use the term loosely, success rate. Now they have a veteran to run it for them. He can be the offensive mentor while Mike Weaver trains the young up and coming Florida defensemen in the defensive aspects of the game.

Brian Campbell gives the fans an exciting, interesting player to watch while their deep pool of young talent develops.

He is also the perfect addition for a Florida Panther squad that still needs to add $27 million in salary to reach the floor of the salary cap. The Florida Panthers not only can accept an inflated contract like Campbell's they need one or two of those.

This is Dale Tallon's opportunity to show that Brian Campbell is the perfect offensive defenseman on a team that isn't under crushing salary cap constraints. Stan Bowman and the Chicago Blackhawks will get an opportunity to show how they can improve their team when the same is true for them.        

The Florida Panthers were excited to start the future. Ten straight seasons without making the playoffs—an NHL record for consecutive years without an appearance. In a league where over half the teams in the league make it to the dance, I would deem it one of the most pathetic franchises in North American professional sports.

That all could have changed tonight. The Panthers held the third pick in the first round of the draft, and after seeing Edmonton pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Colorado select Gabriel Landeskog, they had a decision to make. They could have taken Adam Larsson, a defenseman, or Jonathan Huberdeau, a center.

I am a big believer in having a solid defensive corps. I believe defense wins, and a team should be made starting with a goalie and defense. A rebuilding team should focus on this aspect of the game. Being defensive-minded and playing fundamental hockey means that each and every game, the team is capable of winning by keeping the game close. The Panthers decided to go in the opposite direction by choosing Huberdeau.

Huberdeau played for St. John's in the QMJHL, who recently hoisted the Memorial Cup as the best junior hockey team in Canada. He is a player with speed and nice hands, but will that translate to the NHL?  Huberdeau was not on anybody's radar when the season began and slowly made his way up the rankings to be selected third overall. I think this has disaster written all over it.

The first warning to me was where this kid came from. He was not on anybody's radar and then here comes this kid out of nowhere to take the league by storm and finish as MVP of the Memorial Cup. The second warning was in his interview with TSN and Versus. He said that at the beginning of the year he was playing with "no pressure." To me, that is not a player who I want to build my franchise around (then again it is Florida, there is never any pressure). It sounds to me like this kid was a little motivated to climb up the draft boards. Will this motivation continue throughout his career or did he already accomplish his biggest goal? He has to prove to me that he wasn't just trying to get drafted, but will dedicate himself to a long and effective NHL career.

Huberdeau has nice hands and can dazzle people with his speed and moves. He has to fill out his body and become more physical, but for a No. 3 pick, I would have gone with a defenseman, and with Larsson sitting there, I would have scooped him up. To me, a defenseman is more of a sure thing while taking an offensive player like Huberdeau is more of a risk (especially after the two big boys in Nugent-Hopkins and Landeskog were already taken).

But that's why I'm here and Dale Tallon is there. We'll wait and see.

And by the way, the Panthers were making a big deal about their new red uniforms. They just had their same uniform and made the color red. Overall, a disappointing night in my book for the Panthers.

For more 2011 NHL draft coverage, stay tuned to Bleacher Report for updated NHL mock drafts, NHL draft rumors, NHL draft results and draft grades.

It was a Stanley Cup Finals between a team in a new city and a team known for throwing rats on the ice. Three years before the 1996 NHL Finals, the Colorado Avalanche were still the Quebec Nordiques, and the Florida Panthers were an expansion team.

Going into the series, the only guarantee was that the NHL would crown a first-time champion.

The Nordiques faced increasing financial difficulties in the early 1990s. To make matters worse, Quebec City was the smallest market in the NHL. After Quebec’s provincial government refused to bailout the team, the franchise was sold to a group of Denver investors in May 1995.

In their first season in the Mile High City, Colorado totaled 104 points, 25 more than second place Calgary. After winning their first two playoff series in six games over Vancouver and Chicago, the second-seeded Avalanche faced top-seeded Detroit in the Western Conference finals. Colorado jumped out to a 3-1 series lead and defeated the defending conference champions in six games. The series was best remembered for Claude Lemieux’s check on Kris Draper that sent the Red Wings forward to the hospital with a broken jaw and shattered cheek and orbital bones.

In the Eastern Conference, Florida earned the fourth seed with 92 points during the Year of the Rat. On the night of Florida’s home opener, Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the Panthers locker room. After the story became public, fans started tossing rubber rats onto the ice after a goal. What started as a few rats early in the season increased to more than 2,000 rats littering the ice during the playoffs.

After knocking off Boston in the first round, Florida shocked top-seed Philadelphia in the conference semifinals in six games. In the Eastern Conference Finals against No. 2 seed Pittsburgh, the Panthers won the final two contests to edge the Penguins in seven games. With the score tied at one in the third period of Game 7 in Pittsburgh, the eventual game-winning goal was scored on Tom Fitzgerald’s 58-foot slap shot at the 6:18 mark of the period.

Colorado entered the Stanley Cup Finals as the favorites, even though Lemieux was suspended for the first two games of the series in Denver. Florida scored first in Game 1; however, Colorado tallied three goals in a five-minute span of the second period to win, 3-1. Game 2 was the only blowout of the series, with the Avalanche scoring seven unanswered goals en route to an 8-1 triumph.

As the series shifted to South Florida for Game 3, the Panthers held a 2-1 advantage after the first period. Similar to Game 1, Colorado tallied two goals in a three-minute span to take a three-games-to-none lead in the series with a 3-2 win.

On June 10, Colorado and Florida played one of the greatest games in Stanley Cup Finals history. Needing a Game 4 win to stay alive, Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy and Panthers netminder John Vanbiesbrouck matched zeros through regulation and two overtimes. The scoreless tie was finally broken at the 4:31 mark of the third overtime on Uwe Krupp’s Stanley Cup-winning slap shot. Roy finished the game by stopping all 63 shots he faced.

In the years following the finals, the teams went in opposite directions. Colorado would advance to the Western Conference Finals in five of the next six years, winning the 2001 title over New Jersey. Meanwhile, Florida has only qualified for the playoffs twice since appearing in the 1996 finals. The Panthers current streak of 10 seasons without a playoff appearance is the longest in the league.  

A new era in Florida Panthers franchise history began earlier this week when Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon named Kevin Dineen the team’s 11th head coach.

The Panthers are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2000. They finished fourth in the Southeast Division for five straight seasons and finished in fifth for the last two seasons. Their struggles include two 40-loss seasons.

Dineen may be able to turn things around in Florida.

Prior to being hired by the Panthers, Dineen was coaching in the American Hockey League with the Portland Pirates. He survived an affiliation change, as Portland was affiliated with the Anaheim Ducks when he began coaching.

Before the 2008-09 season, it was announced that Portland would be affiliated with the Buffalo Sabres.

Dineen coached several members of the Ducks’ 2007 Stanley Cup championship team. One of the most notable players was Corey Perry, who had 34 points in just 19 games with Portland in 2005-06. The next year, Perry had 44 points in the regular season and 15 points in 21 playoff games as the Ducks captured their first Stanley Cup.

Perry has gotten better every year. He topped out this year with 98 points and 50 goals to capture his first Rocket Richard Trophy. He is also nominated for the Hart Trophy and has been named to two NHL All-Star Games (2008 and 2011).

While coaching with Portland under the Buffalo affiliation, Dineen worked with two consecutive AHL Rookie of the Year winners. Nathan Gerbe won the award in 2008-09 after tallying 56 points in 57 games with the Pirates. He has played 74 games with Buffalo the last two seasons and has 36 points. Gerbe has accomplished all of this despite being the shortest player in the NHL (he is 5’5”).

Tyler Ennis took the award in 2009-10, having put up 65 points in 69 games. He played his first full season with the Sabres this year, posting 49 points in the regular season and four points and a plus-four in seven playoff games.

Marc-Andre Gragnani is another former player of Dineen’s who has made an impact on Buffalo. Although he had just three points in nine regular season games, he led the Sabres in postseason scoring with seven points in seven games. He also had a plus-seven rating.

Dineen definitely has the success developing young players, but he has his work cut out for him in Florida.

The Panthers were near the bottom of several statistical categories in 2010-11. They were 28th in the NHL with just 2.33 goals scored per game and last on the power play with just a 13.1 percent success rate.

They are also lacking a true offensive superstar. Stephen Weiss was the team’s scoring leader with 49 points, while David Booth led the team with 23 goals. If the Panthers cannot find a pure scorer in free agency or through trades, Dineen will have limited offensive resources to work with.

However, he could very well have the answers to those problems.

Portland scored the most goals in the AHL during the regular season, tallying 280, or an average of 3.5 goals per game. The Pirates’ power play, which worked at a 21.4 percent success rate, was fifth in the AHL.

Defense may still prove to be an issue. Florida gave up 2.71 goals per game this year (14th in the NHL), and the Pirates were surrendering almost three goals per game. The Panthers, and Dineen, will still need work to fix the defense.

The Panthers are looking at losing some of their best players come July. Sergei Samsonov, who was third on the team in scoring with 40 points, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

However, goaltender Tomas Vokoun looks to be Florida's biggest loss.

Vokoun has played at least 50 games every year for the last four years, and his lowest totals while with Florida (.919 save percentage and 2.68 GAA) were still impressive given the quality of the Panthers team.

While these losses will hurt, the Panthers will also bring back scoring leaders Weiss and Booth. The average age of the Panthers’ team is 30, so Dineen will inherit a squad with ample NHL experience.

Dineen has a strong track record of getting teams to the playoffs. The Pirates made the Calder Cup Playoffs every year he was the coach except in 2006-07. He led them to the Conference Finals twice (2006 and 2008) and led them to two division titles (2006 and 2011). In 2006, he won the Louis A.R. Pieri Award as the AHL’s Coach of the Year.

Personally, I feel the Dineen hire is a good one. He has done a great job of developing future NHL stars, and the Panthers do have some good prospects he can eventually work with. Players such as Evgeny Dadonov and Tim Kennedy have done well in NHL stints, whether with the Panthers or another NHL team. They also have 2010 first round picks Erik Gudbranson and Nick Bjugstad.  

At the same time, I also don’t think Panthers fans should expect results right away.

Scott Clemmensen is far from the best replacement for Vokoun should Vokoun not return, and the team still needs some scoring power and help on the power play if they are to become a true contender.

It’s going to be a long road, but hiring Dineen is a good start.

The Florida Panthers made franchise history this past season; unfortunately, it's not the type of history to be proud of.

The Panthers have now gone 10 seasons without making the playoffs. There are a litany of mistakes that have led to this record drought: poor ownership, poor management, poor coaching, mishandling of draft picks. I'm sure other fans will have other reasons too.

Ownership finally made a step in the right direction with the hiring of Dale Tallon as general manager last year. I'm in no way saying he'll be a saviour and that the Panthers will win like Chicago did, but to bring in someone with a proven track record who built a team from the ground up can only be a good thing when previous personnel moves have been questionable.

This summer is a big step in the reshaping and rebuilding of the franchise. Tallon had a great draft last year, according to sources, and looks to repeat that success this year starting with the No. 3 overall draft pick.

Tallon cleaned house at the trade deadline, bringing in draft picks and cap space for next year. The Panthers are close to $25 million under the cap floor. 

After letting Peter DeBoer go, Tallon can hire a coach he feels can take the team forward. The names being linked to the job most strongly are Mike Haviland, an assistant coach for the Blackhawks, and John Torchetti, associate coach for the Thrashers. There are many other coaches available too, so it really could be anyone.

Tallon is taking his time, as are other teams with coaching vacancies, so hopefully this will result in a clever hire and a coach who is the most suitable to lead this young team as well as someone who Tallon communicates well with.

Management has incredible resources available to reshape and rebuild this team. The Panthers are completely changing the look of the team, including brand new jerseys and an overall new look for next season.

This feels like it could be a Tampa Bay style revamp: not a quick fix looking for instant success, but radical changes meant for long-term achievement.

The Panthers' prospects were ranked second overall by hockeysfuture.com. The Panthers have some star talent, such as Jacob Markstrom and Erik Gudbranson, waiting in the wings. Tallon will look to build on that by drafting a future star at No. 3.

It's anybody's guess at the moment which prospect is going where. Some mock drafts are saying Gabriel Landeskog is a lock to go to Florida, while others say Adam Larsson or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins could be picked. It seems pretty clear that the top talent in this draft is strong and Tallon could pick a future franchise player. 

Given how the defense of the Panthers has some pretty strong prospects, like Gudbranson and current players, like Dmitry Kukilov, I feel Tallon needs to address the offense. 

What Tallon will do with the oodles of cap space will be very interesting. He needs to resign a few players, but that won't take up much cap space, and several players will probably be leaving. Tomas Vokoun has said he'd like to return, but it remains to be seen if something can be agreed upon.

Scott Clemmensen is not the answer to take over as starting goaltender, so we could see a short-term deal handed to a goalie during free agency until Markstrom is ready. 

I wouldn't be surprised if Tallon offers Brad Richards a deal, as he offered Ilya Kovalchuk a deal last year, but that has virtually no chance of success. Players like Brooks Laich and Jussi Jokinen could be targeted to provide veteran leadership to the younger players and provide some much needed offence.

Tallon could make a big trade and acquire a big name player like Peter Stasny, but this could mean getting rid of some good young prospects. 

Whoever Tallon and the Panthers target will need to be sold the 'blueprint,' as the rebuild plan is being called. Florida is a non-traditional hockey market but one that could attract players due to the climate and lack of media pressure.

Players who have played for the Panthers in the past have kept homes there, and players who have played in other non-traditional hockey markets, like Phoenix, have loved playing for such teams. So the market may not be the tough sell, its the rebuild and how committed ownership and management are to it that is.

Given Tallon's fire sale of players and draft last year, as well as his stock of draft picks this year, I'd say management is fully committed to turning the mess around. Hopefully, ownership will be patient enough to let Tallon complete his overhaul, and hopefully success will follow.

I fully believe Florida can be a good team and fans will want to see them. Tallon just needs to put everything together now the way previous management hasn't.