The Florida Panthers have decided to not bring back Dale Tallon as their general manager for next season according to the Associated Press on Monday. Tallon had been the Panthers general manager since May 17, 2010.
Florida made the decision three days after being eliminated by the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League Stanley Cup qualifier series. Tallon’s contract was initially expired on July 1, however, it was extended due to the fact that the 2019-20 season was not over yet because of coronavirus. In the 2019-20 regular season, the Panthers had a record of 35 wins, 26 regulation losses, and eight losses in extra time for 78 points.
In 2015-16, with Tallon in charge, the Panthers set franchise records for most wins in a season (47), and points (103). Expectations were high for the Panthers in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs as Florida won the Atlantic Division. However, in the playoffs, Florida was upset by the New York Islanders in six games. Ironically, it was the Islanders who knocked Tallon out of a job in 2020, as they beat Florida in four games.
In Tallon’s decade managing the Panthers, Florida had a record of 347 wins, 317 regulation losses, and 104 losses in extra time. In addition to guiding the Panthers to a division title in the Atlantic Division in 2015-16, Tallon also helped Florida reach first place in the Southeast Division in 2011-12 with a record of 38 wins, 26 regulation losses, and 18 losses in extra time for 94 points. However, Florida got knocked out in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs that year too, as Florida was beaten by the New Jersey Devils in seven games. New Jersey then went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to the Los Angeles Kings in six games.
A major reason why Tallon probably did not have a chance to manage the Panthers in 2020-21, is because of a controversial signing of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky on July 1, 2019. Tallon signed Bobrovsky to a seven-year contract worth $70 million. This past year, Bobrovsky did not live up top expectations for a goaltender making $10 million per season. He had a goals against average of 3.23, the worst average of his career.
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