The Panthers had their hands full with the Coyotes Thursday night. A goal by Shane Doan squirted through Luongo. Vincent Trocheck was dailed in, and evened the score. Meanwhile, in the Central Division, the first domino in the Panthers trade landscape fell.
Andrew Ladd, who had previously been tied to the Panthers, was traded by the Winnipeg Jets with defenseman Jay Harrison and winger Matt Fraser to the Chicago Blackhawks for Marko Dano, a 2016 1st round pick, and a 2018 conditional 3rd round pick.
Of course we want the Panthers to make a move to better themselves. This is the first time in four years they have been this close to the playoffs. This team has played very well, and deserves to be rewarded for doing so. However, do not be quick to dismiss this as the Panthers missing out on opportunity.
Look at what the Blackhawks gave up. Marko Dano is not a nothing prospect, he’s pretty damn good. Who do the Panthers put up that’s comparable to Dano? Lawson Crouse? Jayce Hawryluk? Rocco Grimaldi? Are you comfortable with trading futures for a rental and disposable depth? I know I am not, at least with this team. The Panthers have committed to this long-term rebuilding plan, and it has come so far along. You can see how close the Panthers are now. Naturally, the temptation to hit fast forward grows. The problem is that there really is no way to hit fast forward, its an illusion and a trap. There is still a process to go through.
That process is simply a growing one. You can trade for veterans and experience all day, but it still will not give the Ekblads and Barkovs of the roster, the ones who will do the heavy lifting in a winning effort, the direct expereicne they need to be successful. With 77 points and 22 games remaining, the Panthers are more than likely to make the playoffs. That experience is coming, regardless of what happens between now and Monday. There is no need to pay a high premium to ensure entry to the Playoffs.
There is also no need to pay a high premium to ensure a first round victory, which should be the first goal for the Panthers. We all want to see them win the Stanley Cup, but focusing on that immediately is putting the cart before the horse. The Panthers are not in a position to be trading youth for prospect depth, their window is not open yet. I think they are very close to their window, and being in first certainly supports that, but they are not in it now. Trading for veteran depth will not open it either. There is still work to be done and a journey to be had before Lord Stanley comes to roost in Broward County. It is not unique to the Panthers either. Name any champ in recent memory, and they had some waiting to do and hard lessons to learn before winning.
The Blackhawks got wiped out four games to one in the 2009 Western Conference Final. The Kings lost in the first round two years in a row before winning the Stanley Cup as the last seeded team in 2012. The Bruins had to endure the embarrassment of a lost 3-0 series lead against the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010. The Penguins went all the way to Game 6 in the Stanley Cup Final before losing to Detroit in 2008.
The Red Wings themselves had to endure quite the trial before engaging in their decade of dominance. They lost in the first round 3 of four years from 1991 to 1994, including an upset loss to the San Jose Sharks in 1994. They made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 1995, only to be swept by the New Jersey Devils. Then they lost a chaotic 1996 Western Conference Final to the Colorado Avalanche. Only after going through all that would they win 4 Cups in 11 years.
What I am trying to say is enjoy the process Panther fans, and be patient. Enjoy the rest of this season, wherever it may take us. This team has come such a long way in just the last three seasons. Being patient for just a little bit longer may be the difference between perennial contention and perennial frustration.
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