Panthers interim results

The 2023/24 season can safely be called the toughest season of Panthers GM Shean Gardiner EHE career. And there are several reasons for that. 

First, after winning the coveted cup in the 2022/23 season, fans and team management want to continue the celebration in the new season. Of course this puts some pressure on both the players and the coaching staff.

Secondly, even more intensified competition in the East, makes it more difficult not only to win the cup, but even to qualify for the playoffs. 

And finally, the birth of a child in Gardiner's family (11.11.2023), by far the most joyous event in his life (at least for now), has definitely made a difference in his schedule.

All things considered, Gardiner was able to fulfill the promise he made after winning the 2023 playoffs and the Florida Panthers remained a competitive team. 

Trades

Gardiner has never been known for a huge number of trades and this season there were only 4. 

So at the beginning of the season, Michael McCarron was acquired from the Senators for cash and was seen as a player for the 4th line. Then exactly one month later, the Panthers main trade of the 23/24 season took place. So Danish forward Nikolaj Ehlers was moved from Anaheim to Florida, along with a 4th 24 and a conditional 3rd 25, while the Ducks received 1st and 2nd picks 24 and prospect Aiden Fink. Ehlers was acquired to bolster the Panthers top-6 and his 4-year contract was extremely tempting to Gardiner.

A little later, the Panters acquired Ryan Johansen as part of a trade with the Blue Jackets. In return, the Jackets received Kevin Labanc. Not the most clear-cut deal, but the team needed a little shakeup at that point.

In the latest trade, the Panthers acquired the experienced Jordan Staal from Ottawa, sending Evgenii Dadonov, Anthony Richard and cash in return. Staal's presence was seen as adding experience for crucial regular season and playoff games. Also, his leadership abilities played a significant role. 

Deadline

The Panthers main goal before the deadline was to find a defenseman with an emphasis on defense. This was the position that had been a problematic position on the team throughout the championship. Despite the fact that the Panthers ended up don't make a trade, they held numerous talks with other managers. It's worth noting that the Panthers received some serious offers from teams that were active buyers on the market. The tournament situation the Panthers were in before the deadline suggested that Gardiner would decide to be a seller. 

Honestly the temptation was huge. Some managers who decided to go allin this season made very good offers. But after much deliberation and remembering the experience of last year (when at one point the Panthers wanted to become a saler), Gardiner decided to go all the way and rejected those offers. Furthermore, just before the deadline, Florida almost made 2 trades, but due to time zone differences, there wasn't enough time.

At the time of this writing, the Panthers are 1 point away from 3rd place in the Atlantic Division, which gives them the right to play in the playoffs. Their opponent in this struggle is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have a game in hand. But of the remaining 8 regular season games, the Panthers will play 2 games against Toronto. In all likelihood these games will be the defining games for both teams. 

It's a close one!