Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes Announce AHL Affiliates
The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers have both officially announced their new AHL affiliates, continuing the domino-effect changes that have followed the relocation of the Henderson Silver Knights. Carolina, who had been affiliated with the Charlotte Checkers, has now signed a three-year agreement with the Chicago Wolves starting in 2020-21. The Panthers, who previously used the Springfield Thunderbirds as their AHL affiliate, have inked a multi-year agreement with the Checkers.
When the Vegas Golden Knights purchased the San Antonio Rampage and moved them to Henderson, the St. Louis Blues were without an AHL affiliate and the Wolves were without an NHL parent. The Blues then affiliated with Springfield, continuing the musical affiliate chairs and forcing the Panthers to look elsewhere.
The biggest shock is still the breakup of the Hurricanes and Checkers after the two had been so closely linked by affiliation and obviously geography for so long. The Checkers owner, Michael Kahn, even invested in the Hurricanes and became an ownership partner back in 2011.
In terms of details, the Hurricanes announced that Ryan Warsofsky will continue to serve as AHL coach, moving over to lead the Wolves after the new agreement. His entire staff will come with him to the new organization. The move to Charlotte is a big first announcement for new Panthers GM Bill Zito, though the agreement was in place long before he came on board earlier this month.
Florida Panthers Hire Blue Jackets’ Bill Zito As GM
Wednesday: The Panthers have officially announced the hire, introducing Zito as the team’s next general manager. In the release, owner Vincent Viola included an explanation for the move:
We are thrilled to welcome Bill Zito as General Manager of the Florida Panthers. Bill is an excellent mind in our game today who proved during his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets that he possesses great prowess for evaluating talent and building success. He brings great experience to our club and possesses a strong business acumen.
Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that Zito received a five-year contract from the Panthers, quite a commitment as the team tries to figure out the roster and return to the playoffs.
Tuesday: After all the hype in recent weeks over Florida’s ongoing search for their next general manager – a list of candidates that included executives and scouts from a number of teams as well as several television analysts – it seems the team will in fact go with a name that had not been publicly mentioned. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Panthers are closing in on a deal to make Columbus Blue Jackets Associate GM Bill Zito their next GM. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun adds that a formal announcement is expected on Wednesday.
Zito, 55, has served as an executive for the Blue Jackets since 2013. Initially an assistant GM, Zito eventually took on the role of GM of the club’s AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, and this season was elevated to Associate GM and Sr. VP of Hockey Operations. Prior to his time with Columbus, Zito was a player agent and one of the founders of Acme World Sports.
Now joining the Panthers, replacing Dale Tallon as GM, Zito has his work cut out for him. Fortunately, his familiarity with goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky could help the veteran to settle in during year two after a disastrous first season with the Panthers. More reliable results in net would be a major step for Florida. The team also needs to improve its defense while finding a way to re-sign or replace top forwards Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov. The Florida Panthers have not won a playoff series since 1996, the worst drought in the NHL, and Zito’s task will be to put together a contender and end that sorry streak as soon as possible.
Brady Keeper Re-Signed By Florida Panthers
Even though the Florida Panthers are currently without a GM, the front office is still taking care of business. The team has announced a new one-year contract for Brady Keeper, one of their players scheduled for restricted free agency. The deal will be two-way, though the financial details have not been released.
Keeper, 24, played the entire 2019-20 regular season in the minor leagues, scoring 18 points in 61 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds. An undrafted free agent signing in 2019, Keeper had previously played two seasons at the University of Maine. Interestingly enough, he got into just his second NHL game this summer when he played just over 13 minutes against the New York Islanders, recording two hits and two blocked shots.
It’s hard to know where anyone stands in the Florida organization right now, given the uncertainty in the front office, but there are bound to be some changes coming to the NHL roster before the start of the 2019-20 season. Should defensemen be moved out to shake things up, Keeper will be one of the first men up on the depth chart to try and take a full-time role.
Chris Drury Withdraws From Florida’s GM Search
The Panthers have cast a wide net as they look to find a replacement for former GM Dale Tallon whose contract was not renewed. In recent weeks, Scott Mellanby, John Ferguson Jr., Bill Armstrong, Laurence Gilman, Sean Burke, Ron Hextall, and Kevin Weekes have all interviewed for the position, and Florida Hockey Now’s adds Peter CHiarelli and Eddie Olczyk to the list as well. Rangers Assistant GM Chris Drury additionally interviewed for the vacancy. However, as Florida sets their shortlist for the next round of interviews, Drury has withdrawn his name from consideration, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post.
Drury has been with New York since 2015 when he started as their Director of Player Development. He was promoted to assistant GM the following year and became GM of AHL Hartford in 2017 as well. In 2019, he got his first international GM assignment when he headed up Team USA at the World Championships. That experience made it no surprise when he came under consideration to replace Tallon.
His name has come up for several GM vacancies around the league over the years so while he won’t wind up with this job, it only seems like a matter of time before Drury gets a chance to run his own NHL team. No reason for withdrawing from this search was given.
Meanwhile, Brooks adds a couple more names to the list of candidates in former Boston and Edmonton GM Peter Chiarelli and Blackhawks/NBC analyst Eddie Olczyk. He mentions that both are expected to be among the finalists for the position.
Bruins Executive John Ferguson Jr. Interviewed For Florida Panthers GM
With the 2020 NHL Draft scheduled for just over a month from now on October 9-10 and an abbreviated (read: frenzied) off-season beginning soon after, the Florida Panthers are still without anyone at the helm. The club fired general manager Dale Tallon back on August 10 after a decade on the job. At the time, the club stated that a search for his replacement had already begun. Yet, it has been all quiet out of Sunrise in the weeks since.
With the clock ticking, there has finally been some development in the story. On Monday, it was reported that at least three people had interviewed for the GM vacancy: St. Louis Blues Assistant GM Bill Armstrong, Montreal Canadiens scout Sean Burke, and NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes. There have been other names associated with the opening as well, but no one else had been confirmed to have been interviewed.
Now you can add one more name to the list. New England hockey insider Mark Divver reports that Boston Bruins Executive Director of Player Personnel John Ferguson Jr. has interviewed for the position. An executive for the Bruins since 2016, including serving as the GM of the AHL’s Providence Bruins, Ferguson is probably best remembered as the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2003-2008. Among many moves, Ferguson was responsible for drafting and trading Tuukka Rask, acquiring veteran Hall of Famers Ron Francis and Brian Leetch, and signing core defensemen Tomas Kaberle and Bryan McCabe to long-term extensions.
While the Bruins likely wouldn’t be thrilled with a top executive heading to a division rival, Ferguson would be a great hire for the Panthers if they choose to go in that direction. Since Ferguson’s hire, the Bruins have been one of the league’s most elite, with the third-most regular season wins and second-most postseason wins over his four seasons. Florida has one playoff win and the 21st most regular season wins in that time span. The Panthers also have not won a playoff series since 1996, the worst drought in the NHL. The second-worst drought? The Maple Leafs, who have not taken a series since Ferguson left the organization. Ferguson has experience and has contributed to several winning NHL clubs, making him a good fit for a Panthers team in need of a turnaround and some prolonged success.
Free Agent Notes: Top-10, Pietrangelo, Crawford
After the morning news was dominated by the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins completing a trade, you might be wondering what is next for clubs looking to improve their lot. While the trade market is apparently open, free agency—set to start in October—is where a number of exceptional names will be available for nothing more than money. Frank Seravalli of TSN breaks down the ten names he believes are at the top of the list, including three different Florida Panther forwards.
Mike Hoffman, Evgeni Dadonov and Erik Haula are all set to hit the open market and it is not clear if the Panthers will try to retain any of them. In fact, it’s not very clear what the Panthers want to do with any members of their team given the uncertainty in the front office. Florida is still on the search for a new general manager, who will have to quickly make some tough decisions (or engage in brief negotiations) with his trio of pending free agent forwards.
- The very top name on Seravalli’s list however is Alex Pietrangelo, the St. Louis Blues captain and one of the best defensemen in the entire league. Pietrangelo actually spoke with reporters including Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic today and explained how much the Blues franchise means to him after a decade manning the blueline in St. Louis. Pietrangelo has always indicated a desire to remain in St. Louis, but in a flat-cap world it’s not going to be easy for the Blues to pull off. The team currently has nearly $79.5MM in salary committed to next season already including expensive extensions that kick in for Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk. That doesn’t leave room for Pietrangelo, meaning they’d have to clear the deck if they want to bring the 30-year old back.
- Speaking of players who want to stay put, Corey Crawford was clear in his intentions when speaking with reporters today. As Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports, Crawford explained that he’s “definitely leaning towards staying in Chicago” but that he does want to be a starter still. Crawford admitted that a short-term deal might work for both him and the Blackhawks—which makes sense given the salary cap situation and the fact that Crawford will turn 36 in December.
Florida Panthers GM Search Continues
The Florida Panthers have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NHL the last few seasons. After collecting plenty of high-end talent including Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Aaron Ekblad and even now Sergei Bobrovsky, the team has been trending in the wrong direction. The last time they made the playoffs was in 2016 and they still haven’t won a single series since their 1996 Stanley Cup Final cinderella run.
Recently, they decided to make a move in the front office, relieving Dale Tallon of his duties and beginning a search for a new general manager. Names like Scott Mellanby, Laurence Gilman, and Ron Hextall have all been involved, but a few more candidates have emerged in recent days. On Hockey Night in Canada this weekend, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that Bill Armstrong, assistant GM of the St. Louis Blues, has been interviewed, along with NHL Network analyst and former NHL goaltender Kevin Weekes. Today, Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider adds Sean Burke to the list of interviewees.
The search for the right person to lead the Panthers to glory is obviously a thorough one, but the team does not have a ton of time to complete it. The NHL Draft and free agency will begin just a few days after the league awards a Stanley Cup at the beginning of October, meaning whoever takes over the job has less than two months of preparation if hired today.
With the 12th selection this season, the Panthers are a team to watch at the draft if the new GM decides to make a splash. They selected goaltending prospect Spencer Knight with the 13th pick a year ago and already have several other high-end prospects in the system. Evgeni Dadonov, Erik Haula and Mike Hoffman‘s expiring contracts will give the newcomer plenty of cap space to work with, though they obviously may want to retain the services of at least one of those forwards.
The biggest question may come on defense, where the Panthers have nearly $25MM already committed to next season but struggled mightily in their own end. Michael Matheson carries a $4.875MM cap hit through the 2025-26 season but was made a healthy scratch again in the qualification round and is obviously a big question mark for next year.
At any rate, the next GM of the Panthers has a lot of work to do this offseason to vault them back to Eastern Conference contenders.
Panthers RFA Aleksi Saarela Signs In Finland
While he waits for a contract in the NHL to be completed, Florida RFA winger Aleksi Saarela has signed with Luuko of the SM-liiga, the Finnish team announced. There is no fixed length of the contract; instead, it will be in effect until Saarela re-signs with the Panthers.
After a productive 2018-19 campaign in Carolina, the 23-year-old was traded to Chicago as part of the Calvin de Haan trade. However, his time there didn’t last long as less than three weeks into the season, he was flipped to Florida for blueliner Ian McCoshen.
Saarela had a decent season with AHL Springfield, picking up a dozen goals with 19 assists in 43 games which was good enough to sit fourth on the Thunderbirds in scoring. He also got into four games with the Panthers where he acquitted himself relatively well, picking up two goals and two assists in nine contests while logging a little over 12 minutes a game in ice time. That should have him in the mix for a full-time roster spot for 2020-21, particularly since he will be eligible for waivers next year.
In the meantime, Saarela returns to a Luuko program that he’s familiar with. He spent most of 2016-17 with them on loan and did well, tallying 15 goals and 13 helpers in 49 games. He’ll be able to get into game shape in Finland which should help his push for a role with Florida when next season gets underway.
Eetu Luostarinen Loaned To KalPa
Eetu Luostarinen has had quite the year. After signing his entry-level contract last spring, the young forward made the jump to North American pro hockey, playing for the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. A month into the season, he earned himself a recall to the NHL where he played in eight games for the Carolina Hurricanes, before returning to anchor a line in the minor leagues.
Even though things were going fairly well in his rookie season, he found himself moving to a new organization in February when the Hurricanes traded him (along with three others) for Vincent Trocheck.
Now, after finishing his season with five scoreless games for the Springfield Thunderbirds, Luostarinen will return to Finland’s Liiga and play for KalPa again. The Florida Panthers have loaned the 21-year-old forward back to his old club team until the end of November when he will presumably return for NHL training camp.
Selected 42nd overall in 2017, the 6’3″ center was excited to get another chance to play in Finland as he continues his development. For prospects still looking to make their mark, getting a chance to start playing overseas before training camp is a bonus. Luostarinen has two years remaining on his entry-level deal.
Panthers Receive Permission To Interview Rangers Assistant GM Chris Drury
While the Panthers have a couple of months before the offseason opens up, it appears that they are looking to fill their GM vacancy quickly. Last week, Canadiens assistant GM Scott Mellanby and former Kings executive Mike Futa were linked to Florida and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in the latest Saturday Headlines segment (video link) that Rangers assistant GM Chris Drury has received permission to interview for the position.
Drury has been with the Rangers since 2015 when he joined them as their Director of Player Development. The following year, he was promoted to assistant GM and became GM of AHL Hartford in 2017 as well. In 2019, he got his first international GM role when he was in charge of Team USA at the World Championships where they lost in the quarterfinals. Given his experience, his name has come up for several GM vacancies around the league over the years.
Friedman adds that Bruins assistant GM John Ferguson Jr. and Maple Leafs assistant GM Laurence Gilman are also believed to be interview targets although those have not been finalized as of yet. Ferguson Jr. spent five seasons as Toronto’s GM from 2003-04 through 2007-08 while Gilman hasn’t had the opportunity to be a GM at the NHL level.