Panthers in the 2022-23 season

2023-06-01

In April 2020, Shean Gardiner took over as general manager of the Florida Panthers. By then, the team had only made the playoffs once in 6 seasons, when it defeated the Blue Jackets 4-3 in Round 1 in the 2017-18 season and then got beaten 0-4 by the Bruins in Round 2.

The German manager's arrival marked the franchise's record for points in his first season. The Panthers then scored 52 wins and a record 110 points. Then in Round 1 they defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-1, but again they failed to go beyond Round 2 with a 7-game loss to the Ottawa Senators.

Entering his second season at the helm of the Panthers, Shean did not make any major acquisitions, relying on his existing backbone. However, in the course of the season things were not going as well as planned before its start, so the decision was made to look for reinforcements. As a result of several deals, Kevin Labanc, Evgenii Dadonov, Danny DeKeyser and of course Jamie Benn joined the team. However, that was only enough to barely make the playoffs and lose there in the first round to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Before the 2022-23 season, Shean Gardiner found himself at a crossroads. On the one hand, the team's results began to deteriorate, the contract of one of the team leaders Tyler Seguin expired, the youth was not yet ready... On the other hand, the team had a backbone with which to get results. Mark Stone, John Tavares, Jamie Benn, Morgan Reilly are in their prime. Clayton Keller is progressing from season to season, and of course Ilya Sorokin, who has become the number 1 goalie.

Studying the free agent market and opponents' trade blocks, analyzing competitors' rosters, comparing all “pros and cons”... The 2022 offseason was hot, but no final decision could be made on where to go next. The first rounds of the free agent market were a complete bust for the Panthers. One by one, the coveted lots signed with competitors, and for some there was a fierce purse war that Gardiner didn't want to get involved in.

But as sometimes happens, chance intervened. Late one night, Gardiner's phone rang.

- Shean, got a minute for me? - Panthers head coach Todd McLellan asked excitedly.
- Yeah, sure - replied Shean Gardiner in a tired voice.
- I know we haven't been able to get some of the players I'd like to see on the team, but what about Tyler(Seguin)? I talked to him and he'd like to play for us.
- He's being offered a lot of money.
- I know, but his experience will be needed. Plus, he's been here three seasons and knows everything...

As a result, instead of 1 minute, this conversation lasted about an hour, and Tyler Seguin received a 3-year, nearly $9 million per season contract from the Panthers. With this move, you could say GM went all-in, severely limiting his financial maneuverability. And for that very reason, Conor Garland was acquired in a trade with the Canucks before the start of the season.

After starting with 6 straight wins, the Panthers showed that they had done everything right. But a little later, the results went down and the Panthers slipped significantly in the standings.

- In my work I try to minimize emotions and rely more on reason. But when the team loses, it becomes disturbing. At some point I started to think I made a mistake in the offseason, and I even started to consider trading team leaders - Gardiner said in an interview with a local TV station. We got a couple of good offers and a couple of times we were close to pulling the trigger, but every time there was something missing.

In early February, when the main team had a brief pause in games, the GM along with the head coach went for a not-so-standard move. Instead of having an intensified training cycle, the entire team, along with the coaching staff and staff, went on a few days of rest together.

- Mental toughness is important during a long season - said the team doctor. Socializing informally, going out, having dinner together and having fun helps the players clear their heads of bad thoughts and brings them closer together.

Almost immediately after returning from a mini vacation, as a result of an deal with the Ottawa Senators, an experienced Swedish defenseman John Klingberg was added to the team's roster. The team's results began to improve, something that had an immediate impact on their place in the standings. Panthers rushed in after their Atlantic Division rivals Buffalo and Toronto, who had run away with more than 10 points.

After a series of wins, Panthers management was finally convinced of the right thing to do and made a few more trades before the trade deadline. These weren't the trades with the "top" prefix that everyone would talk about, but don't underestimate them.

First, Ryan Donato was added to the lineup, adding variation to the 3rd line. Then, Derek Ryan and Riley Sheahan were brought in from Detroit to help solve the penalty kill play problem. Finally, on the last day, when the Panthers were no longer planning on making any trades, an offer came in from Carolina for Michael Stone. Considering his younger brother Michael Stone plays on the team, and not just plays, but is the leader of the team, it would be wrong not to give them an opportunity to play together.

As of this writing, the Panthers have 19 wins in their last 23 games and are No. 2 in the Atlantic Division and No. 5 in the overall standings. The team also maintains a mathematical chance to break the franchise record for points scored in the regular season.

But of course the most interesting thing is the playoffs. And given the strength of their rivals in the conference, even the points already scored may not be enough to get into the coveted top eight. So the real action is yet to come...

Let's go Panthers!