The Panthers were written about yesterday. I maintain those feelings. The team has to get over its elder statesmen. This is a team with dual tendencies – towards proven winners and towards young skilled players. And these two tendencies conflict. And the second one should win out, but so far it hasn’t.

This is a team that traded Erik Gudbranson but is likely to bring back Brian Campbell. A team that won the Atlantic but left the first round after their goaltender was outplayed by the Islanders’ backup and lacked scoring.

But this remains a team with one of the brightest futures, if they can just get some fans and be able to spend the entire cap, and not have to waste room on Marc Savard’s contract.

1. Big Name on D

The Panthers are a team with a very young defensive core. Aaron Ekblad has proven himself to be the #1 defender going into the future, and its a role he’s thriving in.

The rest of the Panthers defense is talented as well. Kukilev and Petrovic will make a fine second pairing. Kampfer should develop on the third pairing with the aging Campbell. But that leaves the team without a pair for Ekblad.

And that’s a problem. Willie Mitchell has retired. I don’t trust anyone over 35 with the minutes Campbell would have to play on the first pair, especially in the playoffs. So that leaves the team without a number two.

And so the Panthers should be active on the defensive market this summer. They need that #2, someone with leadership to take over once Campbell is gone, and someone who can fill Gudbranson’s role, as he was a favorite to be captain.

I think Kris Russell would fit in well in Florida, as Ekblad is a puck moving defenseman, and Russell can be relied upon to stay home, block shots, and be the defensive defenseman in the pairing. Russell is also relatively young, and can take over the veteran role from Campbell.

2. Bad Contracts and Good Contracts

The Panthers are a team with a few bad contracts, namely Marc Savard and eventually Roberto Luongo’s, and in need of some good contracts, namely for Vincent Trocheck, Al Montoya, and Brian Campbell. The Panthers have already taken care of Jaromir Jagr with a contract that’s 1/11 of his age (times a million), and that’s a pretty good way to pay him, until he’s fifty-five and you’re paying him 5 mil.

Trocheck was one of six players on the Panthers to get over 50 points, and he’s important as a depth player, because if the Panthers elect to keep Reilly Smith at second line wing they have so much depth on the wings that a fifty-point scorer doesn’t even crack the top 2 lines.

Al Montoya continues to be a reliable backup for the Panthers, necessary going forward with an advanced age Roberto Luongo.

Campbell was discussed in the defense priority, but he’s a veteran who knows the unit and can be excellent depth for the Panthers moving forward. He can help develop prospects and work with the defense, and he should be given a contract that matches his role, but a contract with the fact he’s 37 in mind.

Oh, and not this year, or the next, or perhaps even the one after next, but Roberto Luongo’s contract needs to be thought about long and hard and I wouldn’t be surprised to see his name floating around on the goaltender market, especially for a team in win now mode.

3. For the Future

The Panthers have a group of kids ready to make the jump, and they did not the past year. This group includes Rocco Grimaldi, Kyle Rau, Logan Shaw, and Lawson Crouse. The Panthers could be losing depth on offense very soon, between Jagr’s continual one year contracts, Jussi Jokinen’s 33 years, and having three unrestricted free agents the Panthers can afford to lose.

With good players ready to come up, the Panthers shouldn’t be worried about their future, especially not with the talent they already have that is still fresh and young. If the kids are called up this year and given time to work and develop in the actual pros, the team will not regret it moving forward.

4. Panthers Pride

The fans for Florida is one of the reasons the Panthers have not been able to fill the team to the cap and why they brought in the contract of Savard – there’s no money due, but there is cap space taken.

If the Panthers are able to develop a bigger fandom, they will be able to add talent or re-sign key guys to bigger contracts, allowing them to continue to be competitive, allowing their fan base to continue expanding.

The Florida market is there. It is a big state. The Panthers need to be able to access it and get kids interested, because when you become a hockey fan it’s FOR LIFE. And usually you stick with your team (unless they don’t resign a guy who just works for the team day in day out, who gives his time quietly to good causes, and who scored nearly 40 points last year, but WHATEVER). The Panthers should be able to bring in new fans, and if they do they can get even better because they’ll have more money to spend on the team.

The new logo should be a part of it, but keeping the old one around keeps with tradition for the existent fan base.

The Panthers are going to be great for the foreseeable future. They have a ton of good talent and they’re mostly young, and they have good leadership on the team as well.

Now name Jaromir Jagr captain and let’s move on.