The Panthers imported a wealth of experience with the signings of Roberts and Nieuwendyk from Toronto.

Vets point the way
for young Panthers
By Phil Coffey | NHL.com
Sept. 13, 2005

Every young player needs a helping hand along the way, someone besides a member of the coaching staff, to ease the transition to the NHL game. A mentor, if you will.

The Florida Panthers have embraced the concept as they head into the 2005-06 season. The Panthers jumped into the free-agent market as soon as the bell rang and added two of the most respected veterans in the league, center Joe Nieuwendyk and left wing Gary Roberts, to help point the many youngsters on their roster in the right direction.

As the summer progressed, other veterans heeded the siren call of GM Mike Keenan. Winger Martin Gelinas and centers Josef Stumpel and Chris Gratton joined the caravan to South Florida.

These veterans are expected to fulfill two key roles for the Panthers. Mentoring is an important element, but so is production, and these players are going to have to carry their share of the load in getting the Panthers back into the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Panthers also added a pair of veterans -- Sean Hill and Eric Cairns -- on defense. In goal, Jamie McLennan will back up Roberto Luongo and serve as a sounding board for the elite youngster.

Knowing his team has a number of new faces to blend into the mix, Keenan brought in Jacques Martin, the very successful former coach of the Ottawa Senators. Martin guided Ottawa to a 43-23-10-6 mark in 2003-04. In nine seasons with the Senators, he posted a 341-255-96 regular-season record. Martin is the franchise's all-time leader in games coached (692), regular-season wins (341), playoff wins (31), and playoff games coached (69). Veteran assistant Guy Charron will be helping Martin.

Forwards

Let's start at center, where the Panthers have so many players a couple may have to move to the wings.

Olli Jokinen is the top returning center, a player who came into his own with Keenan as his coach. In 2003-04, Jokinen scored 26 goals and 32 assists in 82 games. That was his second-best season. He scored 36 goals and 29 assists in 2002-03. The addition of Nieuwendyk figures to take some of the pressure off Jokinen, who has seen the opposition's top checkers for most of the past two seasons.

Also factoring into what could be a big season for Jokinen is the expected development and improvement of Stephen Weiss. He scored 12 goals and 17 assists in 50 games in 2003-04 and played in the AHL last season, scoring 22 goals and 32 assists in 80 games. Weiss appears ready to make another big jump in his career and reach the potential that saw him drafted fourth overall in 2001.

Another young center who should benefit from the addition to Nieuwendyk is Nathan Horton, the third overall selection in the 2003 draft. He scored 14 goals and added eight assists in 55 games in 2003-04.

Nieuwendyk, one of the classiest players and people in the NHL, is the perfect mentor for these players because of his unselfishness and team attitude. He can still play, too, as evidenced by the 22 goals and 28 assists he produced in 64 games with the Maple Leafs in 2003-04.

The additions of Gratton, who had 14 goals and 20 assists in 81 games with Phoenix and Colorado in 2003-04, and Stumpel, who scored eight goals and 29 assists in 64 games with Los Angeles in 2003-04, also will push the likes of Vaclav Nedorost, who had four goals and three assists in 32 games with Florida. He was originally drafted 14th overall by Colorado in 2000.

The Panthers are bullish on the future of Rostislav Olesz, the seventh overall selection in the 2004 Entry Draft. Last season, Olesz played with Sparta Praha of the Czech League and scored six goals and seven assists in 47 games.

So, barring a trade or demotions to the minors, that's eight centers with the real potential of making the team -- or moving to the wing.

There?s ice time to be had on both sides. Juraj Kolnik is the leading returnee on the right side. In 53 games in 2003-04, Kolnik scored 14 goals and 11 assists. Rob Globke had six goals and six assists in the AHL last season.

Left wing is more densely populated, with Roberts immediately becoming the top player at the position. In 72 games with the Leafs in 2003-04, Roberts scored 28 goals and 20 assists and was plus-9. He is a dynamic and physical player, one who will most assuredly lead by example.

Gelinas is another dynamic player. He played for Calgary in 2003-04, scoring 17 goals and 18 assists in 76 games while impressing with his all-out hustle.

These two will mentor returning left-siders Niklas Hagman, Kristian Huselius, Christian Berglund and Eric Beaudoin.

Hagman scored 10 goals and 13 assists in 75 games for the Panthers in 2003-04, while Huselius added 10 goals and 21 assists in 76 games. The Panthers need these two to step up and raise their games beyond the third-line level.

Berglund was limited to 33 games in 2003-04, 10 of which came after being acquired from the New Jersey Devils in the Victor Kozlov deal. Beaudoin appeared in 30 games, scoring two goals and four assists.

The Panthers are hopeful that Jay Bouwmeester will benefit from spending a full season in the AHL during the lockout.

Defense

Jay Bouwmeester, the third overall selection in 2002, should be ready for a fast start. He played in the AHL last season, scoring 10 goals and 16 assists in 82 games. But his forte is being a big (6-foot-4), physical defenseman who can log lots of ice time.

Mike Van Ryn has shown potential as a puck-mover, having scored 13 goals and 24 assists in 79 games in 2003-04. The former first-round selection of New Jersey in 1998 came over to the Panthers prior to the 2003-04 season and finished as the second-leading scorer on the team.

Keep an eye out for Filip Novak, a prospect acquired from the Rangers in the Pavel Bure deal. He played in San Antonio of the AHL last season and had a goal and 12 assists in 71 games and could challenge for a roster spot in Florida this season.

Branislav Mezei also returns after a 45-game stint in 2003-04 in which he had seven assists.

The Panthers signed Hill after the 2003-04 season, when he scored 13 goals and 26 assists for the Carolina Panthers. Hill is joined by Eric Cairns, who played for the Islanders in 2003-04. Appearing in 72 games, the physical Cairns scored two goals and six assists, but his primary game is clearing the front of the net and taking the body.

The Panthers also signed Joel Kwiatkowski, who played for Washington in 2003-04, scoring six goals and six assists in 80 games, but was an eye-opening minus-28. And returning to the NHL fold is Alexander Karpovtsev, who appeared in 24 games for Chicago and three for the Islanders in 2003-04.

Goaltending

You can easily make the case that Luongo is the best young goaltender in the NHL and get precious little resistance, even from cantankerous folks who argue every point. You can make the case that Luongo is the best goalie in the NHL, period, and while that will infuriate backers of players such as New Jersey?s Martin Brodeur, Luongo certainly belongs in the conversation.

What Luongo needs this season is a little help from his friends. In five NHL seasons, one with the Islanders and four with the Panthers, he never has gotten to the playoffs and owns a career record of 80-138-33 with a 2.64 goals-against average -- proof positive that statistics don't always tell the whole story.

Luongo is a workhorse in the class of Brodeur and Marty Turco. Since coming to the Panthers, his appearances have risen from 47 to 58 to 65 to 73 in 2003-04. His record in 2003-04 was 25-33-14, and considering the Panthers finished 28-35-15-4, you can see he was more than a little important to the team. His value also has been recognized by Team Canada. He played on the 2004 World Cup team and also was invited to the 2006 Olympic orientation camp.

Luongo is the linchpin for the Panthers this season. He is capable of carrying the team on his shoulders -- he made more than 30 saves 44 times in 2003-04. But it's only fair that the forwards score and the defensemen defend. For too long, he hasn't received the assistance that is needed for a goalie of this caliber to really shine.

The backup duties will be handled by McLennan, a good guy and supportive teammate as well as an underrated goalie. In 26 games with Calgary in 2003-04, McLennan was 12-9-3 with a 2.20 goals-against average. He was traded to the Rangers at the trade deadline and was 1-3 with a 2.96 GAA

Outlook

Can the Panthers return to the playoffs after missing out for four-straight seasons and six of the last seven? Much will depend on how much help the Panthers give Luongo.

Martin is an excellent coach who will instill more disciplined play that will make it easier for Luongo to succeed. But the onus for the Panthers this season will be to get every player to play up to his capabilities.

With veterans like Nieuwendyk and Roberts, both known quantities, that isn't a problem. For them, the challenge is staying healthy. But the onus is on the rest of the forwards, especially Weiss and Horton, to start making bigger and better contributions. Both were high draft picks for a reason, and there is no time like the present to start turning that potential to reality.

But the spotlight shouldn't just be on Weiss and Horton. Hagman and Huselius need to become more consistent and score more. Also, the entire team has to pay attention to defense and cut down the epidemic of double-digit minuses that have plagued the team.

Keenan isn't the most patient guy on the block. He won't sit still and watch this team struggle for long. The coach isn't going anywhere either, so the onus is entirely on the players to get things under control and move the Panthers up the standings -- now.