Optimism in South FLA

Believe it or not, the Florida Panthers may actually compete next year.

Without leading scorer Olli Jokinen, the Panthers may actually end up with a better team next season. After the trade to Phoenix, many fans said it would take a huge free agent signing to bring optimism back to Florida.

Enter Cory Stillman. While Stillman isn't a superstar, he brings many things to the table that Jokinen couldn't. Stillman is a leader, with multiple Stanley Cup victory experience, and doesn't give up much in terms of scoring. He will put up close to the same amount of points Jokinen will, plus he's a team player.

Even though I would have loved one more free agent signing, the Panthers may actually be in decent shape. Atlanta is reeling, losing Bobby Holik, and not being able to acquire someone to replace the loss of Marian Hossa. Rob Hainsey is all they have to show from free agency thus far.
Carolina has picked up some talent on defense finally, but at the expense of Panthers-killer Erik Cole. Washington swapped Cristobal Huet for Jose Theodore, a downgrade in my eyes, while the Lightning have given a whole new meaning to the term the best defense is a good offense.

The Panthers clearly have the best goaltender in the division, and the best defense now as well. Throw in an offense that will now suffice with Stillman, plus the potential of the young guns, and Florida has to have a chance in the Southeast Division this year. Oh, and having a hard working, motivating coach can't hurt either.

Unlike any season in recent memory, I see reason for optimism in South Florida. Even if it is just July.

Olli Speaks

Apologies for flooding the board with Panthers stories, but beyond NBA draft rumors and Jason Taylor rumors and the dog days of Summer with the Marlins, there isn't much going on.

Sun-sentinel.com posted a conversation with former Panther Olli Jokinen. A few things caught my eye. First, Jacques Martin called Olli himself to break the news, and the conversation was, as to be expected, "very short." But what wasn't expected was what Jokinen said about his 8 years in South Florida; "I was lucky enough to stay here for eight years — that's a long time. I would have liked to stay, but as a player, too, how long can you take it? Since Mike [Keenan] left — I think he was the guy who really wanted me here — so when he was gone, at that time I thought, 'It's just a matter of time before I'll have to leave.'"

Mike Keenan left 4 years ago. Now I know the relationship between Jokinen and Martin was strained, but has Olli really been waiting to leave since 2004? At times, he's played like it. He only scored 5 goals after February 10 (the final 24 games) last season, during the heat of the playoff push. Maybe his part in the Zednik accident had something to do with that... maybe it didn't.

When asked about reports that he had asked to be traded: "I was saying if they really want to get rid of me, I'm not going to say, 'I want to stay, I want to stay.... It's his [Martin's] team now so [Martin] can do whatever he wants."

Bitter much? To Olli's defense, the past month has been filled with talks about trading him. I can see how that might get under one's skin. He even had to find out about Panthers' new coach Pete DeBoer through the team's PR guy. If that isn't a bad sign, I don't know what is. But in the big picture, it was his play that packed his bags. A major dropoff in production from the '06-'07 season and a disappointing stretch run gave Martin all the reasons he needed to look elsewhere.


Read the full conversation with the Sun-Sentinal here

A Calmer Look at Jokinen Trade

It's finally happened, and it appears that Florida Panthers captain Olli Jokinen is headed west, to play for the Great One himself and the Phoenix Coyotes. In return, the Panthers received defensemen Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton, as well as the Coyotes 2nd round pick, 49th overall.

Jokinen holds many franchise records, including most goals (188), assists (231), points (419), and is 2nd in games played (567) to Robert Svehla (573). Olli has also captained for the past four seasons. During those 4 seasons, the Panthers finished 11th, 12th, 11th, and 12th in the Eastern Conference, and never higher than 3rd in the division. Jokinen also holds the dubious distinction of playing in 723 regular season games and 0 playoff games. That's 2nd all time in games played with out a postseason appearance (to Panthers assistant coach Guy Charron, none-the-less).

While Olli led the Cats on the score sheet, he's failed to lead them anywhere past that. It's not as though the Panthers, who have missed the playoffs every year since 2000, are scratching and fighting their way to the end of the season, pushing through for every point and coming up just short. They haven't even finished higher than 11th in the conference since that last playoff year.

So Olli's out, let's look at the 2 new guys coming. There were rumors flying everywhere about who the Panthers would receive for their captain. In the end, it was Wayne Gretzky and his Phoenix Coyotes who made the trade. They send defensemen Nick Boynton and Keith Ballard to the Cats, plus a 2nd round pick in tonight's draft (49th overall). Both Boynton and Ballard are former first round draft picks, and should be an immediate improvement to the Panthers blueline. Boynton, 29, will be entering his 6th season in the NHL. In his 437 career NHL games, he has 180 points and is +8. Ballard, 25, is going into his 4th year in the NHL. He most recently represented Team USA in the IIHF World Championships.

These 2, plus the draft choice TBA, are clearly not meant to fill the scoring void that will be left by Olli. Instead, this looks like a move to change the unfortunate trend of giving up 40+ shots a game that has crept into the Panthers style of play over the last few seasons. It appears as though GM Jacques Martin and new coach Pete DeBoer are confident in handing the scoring over to the teams' young core of players, such as 20+ goal scorers, 23 year olds David Booth and Nathan Horton, as well as a good mesh of veteran talent that missed much of last year with injuries. Brett McLean, Richard Zednik, and Rostislav Olesz all missed at least 15 games last season on the DL.

One last thing to consider is the money this should free up for the Panthers. With the new, post-lockout NHL, there is a salary cap. There are unrestricted free agents out there, many of whom have lit the lamp frequently. Is there a big name to be signed come August? We'll just have to wait and see. The Panthers now have 5 picks in this year's draft, it will be interesting to see who they will be, and the impact they may have on this team in the coming season(s). Stay tuned for draft pick prognostication.

JOKINEN GONE, I HATE THIS TEAM HORRIBLE TRADE

JOKINEN TO PHOENIX FOR BUMS! AND A 49TH PICK


I GIVE UP WITH THIS ORGANIZATION


F THEM!

Keith Ballard D
Nick Boynton D

49th pick

Thats what the Panthers got for their captian. Niether are puck moving D men and they did not get a 1st round pick. This team is heading in no direction. It looks like they rushed this when they didnt have to do a thing with Jokinen. HORRIBLE TRADE, WORST TRADE IN TEAM HISTORY, I DIDNT THINK THAT WAS POSSIBLE AFTER THE LUONGO DEAL. F ALREADY IN THIS YEARS DRAFT.


MOVE THIS TEAM OUT OF SOUTH FLORIDA FIRE JM. THIS WAS A HORRIBLE MOVE. GOOD LUCK SCORING GOALS THIS YEAR! THERE WILL NOT BE MANY WITHOUT THE CAPTIAN!



BTW I CALLED IT! SEE DOOMSDAY THREAD!

Latest Jokinen Rumor

MIAMI HERALD/SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL: both reports Panthers GM Jacques Martin could be shopping Olli Jokinen for players and a first round draft pick. The Panthers dealt away their first round pick in this year’s draft in acquiring Tomas Vokoun from the Predators last June. Rumors persist Jokinen might be dealt in the hours leading up to the first round.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Teams are interested in Jokinen but the asking price is said to be expensive and that could kill off that interest or at least limit the number of teams willing to deal for him.


Today is def the day Jokinen is gone. It's sad but lets hope we get something good in return for once.

BTW, the big rumor is Jokinen to the Flames for their 1st (17th overall) and Tanguay. To be honest, that might be a worse trade than the Luongo trade. Tang is a UFA after next year so probably he would be here for only one year and bounce.

The Real Picture

As Panther fans from all over South Florida wonder what will become of Olli Jokinen, new head coach Peter DeBoer, and the 2008-09 season, a larger problem once again looms.

TheStar.com, a Toronto based news website is reporting, "The union also agreed to form a committee to decide whether to opt out of its labour agreement next summer, two years before it's due to expire."

This means that the NHL may be stupid enough to be heading towards another lockout as soon as the 2009-10 season. It goes without saying that if this happens, the NHL is finished for good.

The truth is no matter how the Panthers do, I still love hockey. I go to between 20 and 30 games a season at the BankAtlantic Center, and it's the source of many dates for myself as well as outings with friends. The thought of hockey disappearing again is really more than I can take.

My ultimate goal in the next few years of my life is to make hockey popular again in South Florida. I hope to turn my internship with ESPN Radio into an eventual chance to get a show, in which my goal would be to start the first all NHL show in South Florida radio. I know it's a long shot, but I feel I can be the driving force behind a revitalization in hockey awareness in South Florida. The only hitch? Hockey needs to be around for me to have any chance of this.

If the Panthers miss the playoffs again next season I will be upset, but not as upset as I would be if the ice never freezes again for the following season.

LOL at this NHL Mock PANTHERS

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/16676-The-Hockey-News-2008-Mock-Draft.html

Vancouver trades the pick and Ryan Kesler to Florida for Olli Jokinen. Vancouver gets the offensive player it so desperately needs and Florida gets another young and promising player in Kyle “South” Beach. Beach has drawn comparisons to Owen Nolan, both in a positive and negative way.

More Panthers News!

"There's lots of interest," Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson told the Dispatch. "I'm taking as many calls as I'm making right now."
According to the paper, San Jose, Ottawa, Florida and Montreal are interested in one of the Blue Jackets' first two picks.
Howson indicated the only way he trades the sixth overall pick is if the Blue Jackets acquired a first-line center or a top-two defenseman.
Sources tell TFP the Blue Jackets remain interested in Sharks captain Patrick Marleau, while they are supposedly offering the sixth pick and Nikolai Zherdev to the Panthers for Olli Jokinen.

Thefourthperiod.com btw

To be honests! I would do it in a second!

Florida Panthers 2008 NHL Entry Draft

The Florida Panthers will have the 1st pick in the 2nd round. I personally do not think that they need to trade away one of the core assets for a 1st round pick.

It has been rumored for months that Bouwmeester and or Jokinen (Rumored for YEARS) will be dealt during the draft. I will be watching the draft this coming Friday with knots in my stomach hoping neither are traded away.

The Panthers organization will sell it to us simple, Here is what I mean:

- If they trade Jokinen for Prospects and a top 10 pick; it will be obvious that this organization has no idea where it's headed and they are not committed to winning NOW.

- If they pull off a even trade, get a scorer, and a 1st round pick; then I would be the happiest person alive.

The above is basically a trade with someone sending Jokinen.

Bouwmeester is a different story:

- Trading Bouwmeester would be a much bigger deal to me. He is the most important person on the Panthers. He is the organizations best defensemen to ever wear the Panther uniform. He has such a great upside that if he were to be traded, no package can equal what we have in Bouwmeester.

- Trading Bouwmeester would make this team a 30 and below win team: This means no Playoffs 9 years running and so on.



So YEA, Friday is a huge day in Panther history!



GO PANTHERS

Wade Redden on Top of JM's List

PALM BEACH POST: Brian Biggane reports of speculation Florida Panthers GM Jacques Martin could target Senators defenseman Wade Redden when he hits this summer’s UFA market. Martin coached Redden in Ottawa and because of his decline in performance it’s believed the blueliner could be had for $4.5 million per season. Other potential targets could include Brian Campbell, John-Michael Liles, Mark Streit and Detroit’s Brad Stuart.


Redden would be my top choice for many reasons:

He plays almost every game every season.
He is a great puck mover and shot on the PP
He is a leader
Has experience
Played for JM before in Ottawa
Playing with Bouwmeester will make Bouwmeester even better. (Canada pair once)
Has size and can HIT!

Campbell is more of a offensive guy, we need more defensive minded guys who go in the trenches and take hits and give hits for the Panthers. Redden would be the best pickup since ................................. well I don't no, so it would make me happy.

Jokinen also looks as good as done in a Panther uniform. It really bothers me that they want him gone while he on the other hand wants to stay and make this team a winning team. They should compliment him and bring in a 1st line-mate to get this team over the hump and into the playoffs.

It's the Panthers so they will almost always make the wrong move!

Greg Cote Answers 7 Questions

We at The South Florida Fan (TSFF) are indebted to Greg Cote for being so gracious with our questions. He answered seven of them in his chat today. I give them to you below, with an additional comment from us beneath:

1. Q: With the Hanley Ramirez signing, the Marlins' record, and the poor play from other South Florida teams, do you plan on giving the Marlins some more spirited coverage? They could really use your help!

A: Yeah I've written columns off a handful of games already, most of the spirited variety. Fish have until mid-July (Dolph training camp) to themselves in the market and must take advantage. But the starting pitching is starting to be the concern everyone thought it might be.

Comment: Cote and the Herald have started to jump on board. The Fish need to stay in contention through July to garner perpetual interest.

2. Q: What are your thoughts on the Heat's chances in the lottery tomorrow night? Is the organization doing anything superstitious?

A: No, no rabbit's feet. However Dwyane Wade's feet will be at the lottery. Dwyane just bought his mother a church; maybe he can bribe somebody. As it is the Heat has a 46.5% shot at the 1st or 2nd pick. It's a really bad system that needs reworking. I'll say that now so it doesn't look like I'm whining when the awful Heat get the fourth pick and a much better teams lands Derrick Rose.

Comment: Glad Dwyane Wade will be there. 46.5% for the top 2 picks really isn't all that good, so we should hold off on the Rose vs. Beasley comparisons.

3. Q: Do you support instant replay in baseball, and do you think it will be approved any time soon? Thanks!

A: I don't support instant replay for calls like balls and strikes, but would like to see it for plays such as whether a home run was fair or foul.

Comment: Agreed, except I'd also like plays at the bases to be reviewed.

4. Q: Who makes it bigger in Hollywood: Jason Taylor or Dwyane Wade?

A: Damn good question, which is another way of saying I have no answer. Like both of their futures outside of their sport, but if I had to buystock in one guy's non-sports stardom it might be Wade. His greater appeal to the hip-hop crowd opens a few doors JT might not have. Close call, though.

Comment: Cote has always been fascinated by Hollywood potential. I think Wade has the higher ceiling, but he'll need to regain his top form and stay healthy.

5. Q: Between the Marlins, Heat, Panthers, and Dolphins, who are the five most standup guys? Are they also your favorites?

A: Marlins, Fredi Gonzalez, Luis Gonzalez, Matt Treanor. Panthers, Olli Jokinen. Heat, Wade, Zo, Udonis. Dolphins, Taylor, Channing Crowder, with good early vibes from Tony Sparano. Will miss Zach Thomas. Yes the standup guys tend to be my favorites. The guys who don't duck when things are going wrong.

Comment: Excellent, thorough answer from Cote. Channing Crowder is a surprising inclusion (especially after his infamous "London" comments), but he is a Gator after all. Nice to see Tony Sparano getting some early love from the Miami media.

6. Q: Do you sometimes find yourself rooting against Lebron because he steals so much of Wade's attention (even when Wade won Finals MVP)? I couldn't help myself in the Celtics-Cavs series.

A: No, not really. That's cyclical. In June '06 it looked like Wade had overtaken LeBron. There's enough room for both, just as there was enough for Magic and Bird.

Comment: Apparently that's just me.

7. Q: With Le Batard on sabbatical, do you see yourself stepping in like a backup QB? You could be Steve Young to his Joe Montana...the Herald could have some tough choices.

A: I prefer to think of myself as Lou Gehrig stepping for Wally Pipp. Actually I've written more columns than Dan the past couple of years or so as he's cut back, so taking over this chat every Monday is probably the biggest change for me.

Comment: Any Lou Gehrig (of Columbia fame) reference gets major points at The South Florida Fan.

Thank you to all who participated, and special thanks to Greg Cote for accepting so many questions.

GM Martin signed long term... Coaching search begins... kind of

This according to floridapanthers.com. Panthers general manager Jacques Martin has been signed through the 2011-2012 season. Martin also said earlier today that he doesn't see himself making any hurried decisions about hiring a new head coach. “I think in June is when I see picking up the coaching portfolio and doing some work,” Martin said. “I didn’t want to put a deadline on it. We’ll just wait to see where we’re at. Maybe it will develop quickly, and maybe it’s going to take a couple weeks.”

Martin then tossed out some names that might pop up... some have a plethora of NHL experience (Joel Quenneville, Pat Quinn, Pat Burns, Paul Maurice), while others are currently NHL assistant coaches. Martin also mentioned that he may even look into the AHL for some new coaching talent on the rise. Here's one quote that popped out to me. Martin said he plans to look for "an individual who has good teaching ability (because of) the age of our roster. One with good motivational skills, good communication skills. An individual who can work within the team framework with the organization.” Is it just me or is he describing everything he couldn't seem to do while he was the head coach? He couldn't get the younger players to live up to their potential. There were flashes, but no consistency (lack of teaching ability?) Motivation was often absent among the Panthers on a nightly basis. Again, some nights they looked like a contender. Other nights, they looked like a peewee house team. Martin butted heads with players, most publicly with team captain Olli Jokinen. Not exactly a demonstration of great communication skills, or "working within the team framework."

It does seem like he is dedicated to finding the right guy for this team, and perhaps even admit that he was unable to be that guy. There is no need to rush and just hire a big name if there is someone out there who would be a better fit. Hopefully Martin can get the coach who can get this team to finally live up to its potential.



In an unrelated matter, Team Finland, with Jokinen and Ville Peltonen, lost today's semi-final matchup with Russia 4-0. Finland looked nothing like the team they have been up to this point in the tournament, both physically and mentally. They were called twice within a matter of minutes for too many men on the ice late in the 3rd period, and hardly mustered much of a scoring threat for much of the game. Finland will take on the loser of Canada vs. Sweden.

Jokinen, Peltonen, Bouwmeester, and Magnus advance to semi's

A Florida Panther will be skating for three of the four teams that remain in the IIHF World Championships. Finland, with Olli Jokinen and Ville Peltonen, defeated David Booth, backup netminder Craig Anderson, and Team USA. Canada, with Jay Bouwmeester on the blueline, easily got past Norway. And Magnus Johansson continues on with Sweden, who defeated the Czech Republic. The final team in the semi-final round is Russia.

Olli Jokinen scored an assist on Finland's first goal, feeding Tuomo Ruutu for the opening tally. Finland went on to hold a 2-0 lead through 2 periods, before the Americans fought back to tie it, scoring both goals in the last 5 minutes of regulation. But Sami Lepisto's goal just over a minute into the overtime but the Fins through to the final four. Jokinen finished with 2 assists, while Peltonen managed 3 shots on goal during his 18+ minutes of ice time.

The Sweden vs. Czech Republic game also went to overtime at 2-2. Florida Panther Magnus Johansson set up Sweden's game tying goal with 4:38 remaining to send the game to extra time. Then, just 3:15 into the 4th period, Mattias Weinhandl sent Sweden on to the next round. Johansson had that assist during an impressive 22:31 of ice time.

Team Canada routed Norway 8-2. Bouwmeester, despite playing on the top defensive line, only saw a little over 12 minutes of ice time due to the blowout nature of the game. Bouwmeester managed just 1 shot on goal and was -1.

While there are only 4 Panther's players remaining, all 4 are solid contributors to their teams. Olli and Ville continue to provide an offensive threat for the Fins, while Bouwmeester and Johansson have been stalwart's on the blueline for their teams. Perhaps this kind of leadership that these players are in currently will bleed over to the 2008-2009 NHL season for the Cats? In any case, it is nice to see these guys playing well. Hopefully it will boost their confidence going into the offseason, and lead to a good beginning to the NHL season come October, which the Panthers have definatly been lacking the last couple seasons.

Semi-final action begins tomorrow at 1, with Russia vs. Finland. The second semi-final game features Canada vs. Sweden, with the puck dropping at 5. Again, for just $4.95 you can catch the semi's and the final game on www.wcsn.com

Panthers bites...

A quick little update on the recent goings-ons of the Florida Panthers.

The Panthers signed their first pick (10th overall) of the 2007 draft, 19 year old defenseman Keaton Ellerby. Despite standing 6'4", he weighs in at only 188 lbs. Granted, he's 19. A year or 2 and Ellerby could develop into and intimidating force on the Panthers blueline. He spent last season playing for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League, where he played in 53 games, scored 2 goals, an impressive 21 assists, and logged 81 penalty minutes.

In the IIHF World Championships, the quarterfinal matchups are set, and 4 of the 8 teams remaining have Panther representation.

David Booth and Craig Anderson will be playing for Team USA as they take on Olli Jokinen and Ville Peltonen and Team Finland for the 2nd time in 4 days. The last meeting between the 2 teams was a thrilling, albeit controversial and violent game. Jokinen drew a match penalty late in the 1st period for checking American Tim Gleason from behind. The first Finnish goal came from Ville Koistinen, and appeared to actually go under the side of the net. Upon further review, the referrees deemed it was a good goal. Since then, however, the IIHF revealed after the game that Koistinen's shot had, indeed, entered the side of the net and should not have counted, and the video-goal judge will not be working for the rest of the tournament. The game ended with a minor melee, including a fight between David Backes and Anssi Salmela, who was bloodied. Both players received match penalties. No word yet on whether any suspensions from that game will carry over to tomorrow's quarterfinal matchup. Oh yea, Finland won the game, 3-2.

While Booth and Anderson have been largely absent from the American score sheet, Jokinen and Peltonen lead their team's offensive threats. In the Fins defeat of Lativa a few days earlier, the two Panthers combined for 20 shots and over 41 minutes of ice time.

Also tomorrow, Magnus Johansson and Sweden will play the Czech Republic. Johansson has been a solid presence for the Swedes, and has often been one of the leading ice-time getters.

Jay Bouwmeester and Canada will play Norway. Bouwmeester, like Johansson, has been seeing plenty of ice time on his team's top defensive pairing.

So be sure to tune your computers to www.wcsn.com tomorrow night to check out what's sure to be a great night of hockey.

No Respect In Panthersland

This past season in the National Hockey League was one of the worst in history in terms of bad officiating, blown calls, and contested goals. Never before have the men in stripes resembled walking zebras so much. However, one team in particular seemed to bear the brunt of this incompetence.

No team had a worse powerplay differential than the Florida Panthers. At -59, the Panthers spent nearly two hours more this season shorthanded than on the powerplay. A ridiculous number like that might be understandable for a dirty team like the Anaheim Ducks, but the Panthers? The not scrappy, not grinding, not physical Panthers? It doesn't add up.

If that wasn't bad enough, one of the Panthers main rivals, the Carolina Hurricanes, had over a +60 powerplay differential. That means the Hurricanes spent over 4 hours more than the Panthers with an extra guy on the ice.

That's four whole hockey games with a man advantage.

If that's not ridiculous enough, the Panthers had two goals waived off towards the end of the season that, upon further review, were both clearly goals. One of these didn't even go to replay, and the other was obviously not reviewed long enough. Both of these goals ended up costing the Panthers games, and arguably, their season.

So why do the Panthers get every blown call against them? The answer may be simpler than you think.

What other team can you think of that has less star power than the Florida Panthers? Yes, many of us like to think that Olli Jokinen is a superstar, but he's simply the best player the Panthers have. He's no Ovechkin, or Jagr, or Kovalchuk. Those guys get calls because they're stars, and the refs hold them in higher places.

Think about baseball. If Tom Glavine is on the hill and he throws a borderline strike, he's probably going to get the call because he's well respected and he gets that kind of call. If that same pitch is thrown by say, Andrew Miller, he probably won't get that call.

It's the same deal in hockey. Without a genuine superstar, the refs will continue to walk all over the Panthers. The only difference is hopefully next season the Panthers will have a coach that might actually give a damn, instead of staring at the refs with a blank look every time the Panthers took a phantom penalty with two minutes to go in a one goal game.

Or maybe one of the higher powers will read this and go out and get that superstar. The Panthers will continue to get no respect until they do.

Some Panthers still playing

The IIHF World Championships kicked off yesterday, and several Florida Panthers are out representing their countries. David Booth and backup netminder Craig Anderson are skating for Team USA, defenseman Magnus Johansson is representing Sweden, Jay Bouwmeester is playing for Canada, Panthers' prospect Janis Sprukts (now with Finnish club Lukko Rauma) is on the ice for Lativa, and Olli Jokinen and Ville Peltonen are playing for Finland.

In Friday's matchup, Jay Bouwmeester saw plenty of ice time, as he skated alongside former Panther favorite, Ed Jovanoski on the top defensive pairing for Canada. (Canada won easily, 5-1, outshooting Slovenia 65-23.)

While this is hardly the type of meaningful hockey I'd like to see the Panthers playing in, it is nice to see some Cats, both young and old, being recognized and asked to represent their country. Plus, Canada, Sweden, Finland, and the U.S. should make up the final four in this tournament, so it will be fun to see the Florida teammates go up against each other. So just because the Stanley Cup playoffs don't hold any Floridian representatives, there is still hockey being played with Floridian ties.

Preliminary rounds continue through the 13th. The quarerfinals then take place May 14, followed by the semi's on the 16th, and the medal games played on the 17th and 18th. (For just $4.95, you can watch every game at http://www.wcsn.com/)


4:32 pm edit: Ville Peltonen assisted on Finland's first goal, and Olli Jokinen just scored on a rocket one-time slapshot for Finland to put them up 2-0 in their game against Germany. Way to go Olli!

Sunday edit: Panthers' defenseman Branislav Mezei is also playing for Team Slovakia, who defeated Norway 5-1 yesterday. Apologies to Brani for leaving him off the list.

Horton Hears a Boo?

One of the most controversial players on the Florida Panthers roster is winger Nathan Horton. Drafted in preference over Eric Staal, the Panthers have always thought very highly of him. He's a sniper with an absolutely deadly shot, but he's always had one major problem. He's lazy.

I'm talking Garfield-the-cat-like.

Horton has shown some major flashes of brilliance but his constant lack of effort is his major flaw. He skates hard when he gets mad or when there's a scoring chance, but when it's time to do the dirty work of getting a puck out of the corner, he is simply stuck in second gear.

Who can blame him though? He's played for a coach that gives the team the day off after blowing a third period lead. He's been taught to only give what you feel like, and nothing more. With Martin finally being removed from the bench, this is the year for things to change. Out of all the Panthers stars, I've found myself booing Horton's effort more than anybody elses (except maybe Olli Jokinen -- post Zednik era).

Speaking of Jokinen, I'm still one of the lone people that thinks he should be dealt at draft day. This is a talent rich draft, and the Panthers don't pick until the third round. Jokinen has never truly fit in with the Panthers, shown by his overall lack of chemistry with just about everybody. Jokinen is a great player, but he is not the superstar that the Panthers are forcing him to be. The only way I think Jokinen stays around next year is if the Panthers finally decide to add some talent, and bring him in a real star so that Jokinen can go back to just being very good. Brian Rolston anybody?

All I am trying to say is that my patience is running thin with Horton. While Staal was the NHL All-Star game MVP this year, Horton was struggling to reach 20 goals at that point. That is simply unacceptable for the amount of talent he has. Especially now that he has found a line that shows unbelievable chemistry, and now that he's going to have a real coach behind the bench next year (we hope), Horton is out of excuses in my book. If he doesn't net 40 goals next year, I'm going to be extremely disappointed.

The Twins in South Florida?

And I am not talking about the Minnesota Twins!

With the trade to bring in Luongo to Vancouver, the Canucks had a formula that hoped to result in a Stanley Cup Championship. Missing the playoffs this year has not been good for the Canucks and their fans as they hope to make major changes to their team this off-season.

A rumor around the trade deadline was that JM called up the Canucks asking for Henrik and Daniel Sedin for Olli Jokinen. At the time the Canucks turned that offer down but would they again if the offer presents itself again? I feel that this trade would be great for both teams. Both teams are in desperate need of a HUGE change and this would be very huge!

Yes the Panthers basically get a full top line in acquiring the twins and they would only get Jokinen in return and possibly a 2nd or 3rd round pick in this years or next years draft. This would not be so bad for the Canucks because they would have Jokinen and his deal of a contract plus they would still have cap space to bring in another player that could fill one of the holes they need to fill. The Twins also come at a bargain because their contracts are:

Henrik: 3,575,000/year
Daniel: 3,575,000/year

The only problem with this is that they both are UFA after this coming season!

I personally love this deal. If the Panthers can acquire them, they would not have to overspend on a top line winger and they can use that money to get a puck moving defenseman and a role player. The one thing I can say is that they would have to offer the twins a contract extension just so this trade would not look like a flop! AKA: Luongo for Bertuzzi deal! YIKES. I still have nightmares about that deal, oh and the Bure deal (me shaking my head as I type).

The one thing I want to stress is that having the Sedin twins on this team would give guys like Frolik, Matthias, Olesz, and Kreps a chance to become superstars. The Sedin twins are known for their teamwork and passing ability. If you put a kid like Frolik or Olesz on a line with the twins then you might be looking at a 40 goal rookie season out of Frolik!

These are just some things you Panther fans need to be aware of. The organization has to think what is best for the kids who are ready to come up very soon with the Panthers. I love this deal and would do it in a second. What are your thoughts?

GO PANTHERS!

Time to Face Facts: The Marlins Are Good

This joyride of a season has now reached 14 games, and the Marlins sit atop the National League East at 9-5. Predicted by nearly every analyst to finish last, there were clearly some miscalculations. What were they?

1. Hermida and Jacobs: Contributor Mike had some choice words for Mike Jacobs this week. Regardless of what any scouts or sabermetric proponents say, the guy keeps hitting homeruns. I watched his ABs carefully tonight. Yes, he's been feasting on fastballs, but I maintain what I argued before; he set himself up for it. In his HR tonight, he patiently waited for a 2-0 count before getting the juice. Maybe his greatest gift is that he knows his limitations and bats around them.

Hermida, on the other hand, is finally achieving his early potential. When I think of a South Florida parallel, Olli Jokinen comes to mind. It's as if the light bulb went off last summer, and now everything is falling into place. Between Hanley, Hermida, and Jacobs, the Marlins have a bit of a murderer's row.

2. Supporting Cast: In 2003, a number of Marlins had career years. It seems to be happening here too, with the likes of Alfredo Amezaga, Jorge Cantu, Robert Andino, etc. Luis Gonzalez has fit in beautifully as the 4th OF (homered tonight), and with Wes Helms replacing Jason Wood, there isn't a weak spot on the offense.

3. Bullpen: The bullpen has been nothing short of Fish-tastic. So Marlin-ous has this group been, that they've completely covered for the starters to date. The bullpen hasn't failed in a single game, maintaining every lead they were given. If this keeps up, the Marlins could be showing some resemblance to the 2006 Angels.

I don't blame the experts for undervaluing the Marlins. Few could have seen this coming, but for the above reasons, we can now say the Marlins are officially a good team.

Which South Florida Sports Franchise Will Improve First?

Today, Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel found a little optimism within a miserable question: Which weathered franchise in South Florida will improve first? This is his order:

1. Heat
2. Marlins
3. Dolphins
4. Panthers

Before I give my opinion, let me just say that the Panthers were on the cusp of the playoffs, and the Marlins are currently in first place. It's way too early to call the Marlins a success, but for the sake of argument, let's focus on the 2009 season. Here's my order:

1. Heat: I agree with Dave Hyde here. The only thing stopping the Heat from being a playoff team is Dwyane Wade's health. As I've said before on this blog, it's easy to forget just how dominant Wade was when healthy. Throw in Marion/FA and an early draft pick (Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose), and this team is suddenly good again. I also can't imagine the defensive effort being any worse. In a renewed season, the Heat will rediscover their will to play hard on both ends of the floor.

2. Marlins: Again, Dave Hyde and I are on the same page. I was almost tempted to put them first, but I never underestimate Dwyane Wade. Imagine this current lineup, supported by a monster staff of Josh Johnson, Annibal Sanchez, Chris Volstad, Gaby Hernandez, Scott Olsen, and refined versions of Andrew Miller, Ricky Nolasco, and Rick Vanden Hurk. They'll all be back. Oh, and Cameron Maybin just might be starring in center field too. The future is bright for the Marlins.

3. Panthers: This is where Hyde and I disagree. The Panthers showed tremendous promise at the end of the year. David Booth is clearly a star in the making, and there are a number of other young players on the verge of breaking out. If they can retain Olli Jokinen (a player Mr. Hyde conveniently left out), they'll be a playoff team for certain.

4. Dolphins: I just don't see much happening this year, even under strong management. Is John Beck the starting QB? I like the 'Fins chances of pulling off 7 or 8 wins, but this isn't a contending team yet (of course, we really need to see what happens in the Draft first to truly determine this). Now as for the 2009-10 season? That's a whole other story. Also on the Dolphins' side: in no other league do teams complete turnarounds like the NFL.

Now that I've put this all together, I'm feeling quite giddy about our sports teams down here. Things may have hit rock bottom, but they'll be fine and dandy soon enough. I'll leave you with projected records:

2008-09 Heat: 47-35, 5th seed
2009 Marlins: 88-74, contend for Wild Card
2008-09 Panthers: 41-30-11 (93 points) - 7th seed
2008-09 Dolphins: 7-9