Yandle has high hopes for re-energized Panthers

BOSTON-- Florida Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle has sensed optimism and excitement from his teammates in the past few weeks.
"Just on vacation recently at [Panthers defenseman] Mark Pysyk's wedding and there were probably seven or eight of us on the team at his wedding, and everyone just seemed so ready for the season to start," Yandle said from the Commonwealth Avenue Charity Classic Hockey game at his alma mater, Boston University, on July 14. "I was even talking to [Jonathan] Huberdeau today on the phone and he was like, 'I wish it was training camp right now.' That's a good thing to hear.
"Even though it's only mid-July, guys are champing at the bit."

How does he know?
"Being away with those guys last week at Pysyk's wedding, every day, guys were in the gym," Yandle said. "We're on vacation, but every day guys were in the gym, working out, getting ready. It was just a lot of fun to see that, see how excited guys are."

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It was roughly three months ago when Yandle and his teammates were trying to escape Florida after a trying season filled with injuries, a coaching change and general underachieving.
Yandle performed close to expectations, at least from a production standpoint, with 41 points (five goals, 36 assists), including 18 on the power play, but Florida finished with 81 points and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs one season after finishing first in the Atlantic Division with 103 points.
The Panthers were expected to build off their successful 2015-16 season, but Huberdeau missed 51 games and center Aleksander Barkov missed 21 because of injuries. Florida finished 23rd in goals per game (2.50) and 24th on the power play (17.0 percent).
"When you're missing your two best players, it's tough to get strides going," Yandle said.

But the offseason has brought changes that Yandle thinks have re-energized the Panthers.
For starters, he said the fact that Dale Tallon is back in control of the roster decisions as general manager gave the players a feeling of stability going into the offseason. The Panthers announced Tallon, who was Florida's general manager from 2010-16, was back in that role and that Tom Rowe would no longer serve as GM or interim coach on April 10, the day after last season ended.
"Having Dale back in charge, I think that was the main thing that got everyone going," Yandle said. "You sense the power over the locker room that Dale can have. It's such a positive thing when you have a guy like Dale Tallon. Everyone respects him and everything he does for the team. Going into the season knowing he has our back, he has the team, and obviously that he hired great coaches too, it's a great thing."
Optimism and renewed hope always follows a new coaching staff into an organization and it's no different in Florida, Yandle said.
Tallon hired Bob Boughner to be coach of the Panthers on June 12. Boughner, who spent the past two seasons as an assistant for the San Jose Sharks, is a former NHL defenseman, a veteran of 630 games. Former New York Islanders coach Jack Capuano was named associate coach on June 23.
He's the first former defenseman Yandle, 30, has had as coach in his 11 NHL seasons. The same is true for the other five players in Florida's projected group of top-six defensemen -- Aaron Ekblad (21), Mike Matheson (23), Alexander Petrovic (25), Pysyk (25) and Jason Demers (29).
"[Former Arizona Coyotes coach] Dave Tippett was a defensive forward, but it's nice to have a guy that knows the position," Yandle said. "Especially with the young group we have back there, I think he'll be a big help for all of us. Everyone is super excited to have him.
"Everyone on our team is looking forward to getting back and getting started again."