After snapping their two-game losing streak with a big come-from-behind win against the Washington Capitals, the Western Conference-leading Oilers will look to keep rolling against the Florida Panthers.
1. The Panthers had arguably the biggest off-season in the league this year. After hiring Joel Quenneville to become their head coach, the Panthers opened up the cheque book in free agency, signing Sergei Bobrovsky, Brett Connolly, and Anton Stralman to add much needed depth to their roster. Has it worked out so far?
Their 4-2-4 record is medicore, but I think it might be a bit misleading given their incredibly difficult schedule so far. They’ve played last year’s Preisdents’ Trophy winners Tampa Bay twice and just two of their 10 games have come against non-playoff teams from 2019-20.
2. Bobrovsky’s seven-year, $70,000,000 deal is one of the biggest contracts ever handed out to a goalie. The biggest, of course, is Carey Price’s record-setting eight-year deal worth $84,000,000. This was the biggest risk of Florida’s off-season. While Bobrovsky certainly has a track record of success, featuring two Vezina Trophy victories and multiple other strong seasons, he’s also 31 years of age with a history of groin injuries.
3. The Panthers had some of the worst goaltending in the league last year, so the massive deal given to Bobrovsky was supposed to solidify their net for the foreseeable future. Florida used four goalies last year — Roberto Luongo, James Reimer, Sam Montembault, and Michael Hutchinson — and they combined for an .897 save percentage. Florida would finish outside the playoffs thanks largely to their inability to keep the puck out of the net.
4. Ironically, Bobrovsky has been Florida’s biggest issue this season. The Panthers have a strong offence, ranking ninth in the league in goals for, and they’re one of the best teams in the league at suppressing shots and scoring chances from opponents. They also have a decent power play, hovering slightly below league-average (18.75%), and an effective penalty kill (84.62%). The problem has been Bobrovsky and his .869 save percentage.
5. Should there be a cause for concern? I mean, the contract was always going to be risky given Bobrovsky’s age and his injury history, but I don’t think he’s fallen off a cliff just yet. Bobrovsky is a notoriously slow starter. He owns a .904 save percentage in the month of October for his career, which is his worst of any month. Last year, he posted an .882 save percentage in October and then went on to help the Blue Jackets make the playoffs and win their first-ever playoff series. It’s a good bet to assume he gets back on track sooner rather than later. Hopefully, it doesn’t start tonight.
6. Speaking of Columbus winning their first-ever playoff series last spring, the Panthers badly need some success. Florida’s last playoff series victory came all the way back in 1997 when the team went on their Cindarella run to the Stanley Cup final. Since then, they’ve made the playoffs four times, all of which resulted in a first-round exit. Florida’s 22-season playoff series win drought is far and away the longest in the NHL. The Leafs have the next-longest drought at 14 seasons and the Sabres are next after them at 12 seasons.
7. If the Panthers can get goaltending, they can be a good team. The team’s biggest strength comes up front, where they boast a potent top-six. Their top line of Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Evgenii Dadonov have 10 goals through 10 games, which is a bit of a slow start considering what they did last season. The Panthers also have nine goals from second-line wingers Brett Connolly and Mike Hoffman. The missing ingredient is Vincent Trochek, who has missed back-to-back games with an undisclosed injury. If Trochek is in the lineup, the Panthers have a top-six that’s very difficult to contain.
8. While Florida boasts a strong top-six, they still aren’t as lethal as Edmonton’s top line. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zack Kassian have combined for 20 goals already this season. McDavid and Draisaitl are currently on pace to put up nearly 150 points each this season. The key now is finding depth scoring. James Neal has added anothr scoring option, but Edmonton needs more for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and other depth players like Alex Chiasson and Markus Granlund.
9. Rather than calling up any of their top prospects, like Kailer Yamamoto or Tyler Benson, the Oilers are going to stick to the plan of letting them develop in the AHL, which is the right decision. When Josh Archibald went on the Injured Reserve with a broken foot, many speculated that Yamamoto would get a look with the Oilers. Instead, it’ll be Gaetan Haas returning to the NHL. This was the whole point of adding a bunch of depth to the roster. You don’t want to rush prospects to fill holes at the NHL level.
10. Here’s a really random stat: the Panthers are far and away the league’s worst team in shootouts. Not just this year, all-time. Since the inception of the shootout in 2005-06, Florida has been 162 shootouts, more than any other team. In those shootouts, they have a 68-94 record, meaning they have by far the most shootout losses in NHL history. Philadelphia is second-worst with 84, and then Anaheim and New Jersey with 75. Florida has already lost in the shootout three times this season.
