Andrew tosses out this post and has some really good info from January of 2008 on the Florida Panthers. Note the grades and yes he was using a curve but that is okay.
Goalies
Tomas Vokoun – Vokoun has been nothing short of spectacular on most nights, and is the main reason that the Panthers have any hopes of the playoffs at the midway point. Although Florida gave up a lot for him, he has shown why it was absolutely necessary, and has slowly helped to ease the bleeding from the worst trade in sports history. Besides taking the occasional game off, my only concern is him possibly wearing down with all the work he’s getting, as he’s been injured in the past couple of seasons. Grade: A-
Craig Anderson – Andy hasn’t been asked to do much this season, but unfortunately it took him until the exact midpoint of the season, for him to record his first victory of the season. A team cannot make the playoffs when a backup goalie only has one victory (yes, the Sharks are an exception). He has played decent when called upon, but he must improve on his 1-4-1 record. Grade: C+
Defense
Jay Bouwmeester – Jay is showing why it is imperative that the Panthers get him under a long term contract. He could very well be the next elite level defensemen, and he has shown not only great play in the defensive zone, but the ability to read the play and jump up on offense. He is a very smooth skater, and has been one of the few easy players to watch this season. Grade: A
Bryan Allen – When Allen teams up with Jay Bo, the Panthers finally have a defensive tandem that can be considered a shutdown pair. Although his name doesn’t come up on the score sheet very often, he is probably the best defensive defensemen on the team, and never hesitates to give up his body to block a shot. He is rarely out of position, and is one of the few guys on this team whom I don’t get nervous about when he’s on the ice. Grade: A
Ruslan Salei – While his 15 points puts him in the team lead for defensemen, Salei has his off games. When he’s playing well, he is a very good second line defenseman for this team. But when he’s off his game, his play becomes atrocious, and I’ve caught myself yelling at him more than just about any other player on this team. He has been reliable, playing in every single game this year, but he really needs to cut down on his mental mistakes to further help this team. Grade: C
Steve Montador – To be honest, I enjoy watching Monty play. He’s a good guy, who plays with an edge. His +3 is actually (and sadly) one of the best on the team. He brings some ideas from the Western Conference (as does Allen) and does much more good than harm for the team. I’d like to see him improve from his 8 points, as he can double for a forward, but he’s a solid player on this team. Grade: B
Branislav Mezei – In a nutshell, this guy needs to go. His -12 is atrocious, and a clear indication of his poor defensive skills, or lack there of. I don’t go through a period without yelling at this guy, unless of course, he isn’t playing. He is constantly beat by the other team for goals, and the sooner this guy is cut, the better. Grade: F
Jassen Cullimore – Cully has been a pretty welcomed addition to this team ever since Welch, Van Ryn, and Murphy went down with injuries. His most memorable moment was obviously his game winner in overtime the other night, although besides that, he’s been pretty much off the score sheet. He does get caught out of position sometimes, and he occasionally slips and can cost the team. He’s not the greatest player on this team, but far from the worst. Grade: B-
Cory Murphy – Not a whole lot I can say with him on the shelf for most of the year. In the time he played, he was a great player who really helped the team’s power play. He really needs to get back, as this injury is taking way too long for a hockey player to heal from. Grade: B (Mostly because of his inability to return from injury)
Offense
Olli Jokinen – The captain easily leads his team in goals, assists, and points. Still one of the more underrated players in the game, Jokinen may need to do even more to get this team into the playoffs. While other players are slowly starting to find their linemates, Olli has been unable to develop real chemistry with any player. This could be due to the constant changing of lines by the coach. Still, a point per game basis is nothing to sneeze at. Grade: A
Nathan Horton – I spent most of the season yelling at this underachiever, but he seems to have found his game of late. His 12 goals, 18 assists, and 30 points, all rank second on the team. My biggest complaint with Nathan is he appears to get lazy a lot. If he can keep up his recent scoring, he may finally pan out as the player Florida thought he was when the drafted him. Grade: B
Stephen Weiss – Weiss is another player who has started the season off pretty slow, but is starting to find his touch lately. The line of him, Horton, and Booth is finally starting to come together. He is ranked third on the team in points, but he needs to shoot the puck more. I can’t count how many times I’ve screamed “shoot” at him, either at games or at home. Grade: B
David Booth – Booth may possibly be the best Panthers player in a couple of years. This guy has come out of nowhere, and is basically the only player who has brought any kind of spark to this team. His 10 goals already rank third on the team and his +8 leads the team. If he can stay healthy and continue to bring his spark, he could be a huge factor down the stretch for Florida. Grade: A
Jozef Stumpel – A veteran who is finally starting to show his age, Stumpel is still ranked fourth on the team in points (with 18, wow that isn’t saying much). Jozef is still a solid player in my eyes, although he does blow quite a few opportunities. I think if he can find some chemistry on a line in the second half of the season, his numbers could go back up a little. Grade: B-
Richard Zednik – Definitely one of the best pickups by Florida this offseason, Zednik brings a much needed speed element to the Panthers lineup. His line with fellow pickups Dvorak and McLean is a line with a lot of speed, and a lot of grit. His 9 goals is good for fourth on the team, and his 102 shots ranks third. It’d be nice to see an improvement on his -8 rating. Grade: B
Rostislav Olsez – Rusty is one of the more difficult players to figure out. He seems to be a very streaky scorer. When he is hot, he is a fun player to watch. However, he has been much too inconsistent this year, as he too needs to find some chemistry with a line in the second half of the season. Grade: C+
Radek Dvorak – Although his 10 points in 42 games doesn’t look like much, Radek has been one of the better Panthers this season. He rarely has an on off night, and is the best penalty killer I’ve seen in years. He is fearless, often going to the net or diving to clear the puck down a man. Believe it or not, his 94 shots rank 4th on the team. Grade: B+
Brett McLean – His six points are nothing impressive, but since coming back from injury, McLean has looked more like the player the Panthers were looking for when they signed him. Playing with his speedy line mates certainly helps, but Brett could stand to pick up his offensive production in the second half of the season. Grade: C+
The Triumvirate of Kamil Kreps, Gregory Campbell, and Anthony Stewart – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Although there is a lot of potential on this line, it is simply not NHL ready. Kreps brought a spark in his first few games, but has been dead silent since. I don’t even hear Campbell’s name said on most nights. And Stewart can be very difficult to watch. These guys need more time to develop. Grades: D+
Coaching
Jacques Martin – It’s time to strip him of his coaching duties, and it seems everybody but the man himself realizes this. Fans are calling for it, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen. He is a fine GM, and his free agent signings have paid dividends already, but he fails to motivate his team, and his boys are very rarely ready to play, evidenced by many lackluster first period efforts. His constant changing of lines makes any chemistry nearly impossible to develop. Grade: D-
Overall
It hasn’t been the greatest first half of the season for the Panthers, but far from its worst. They are slightly ahead of where they normally are at this point in the season, but unfortunately are starting to resemble to same old Panthers as time goes on. Their road play is definitely improved, but this is counteracted by their poor .500 record at home. This team needs more offense and more solid total defensive efforts if it wants to make the playoffs for the first time in 7 years. I will say this much though. The Panthers are very, very lucky that they play in the Southeast Division. They actually have more of a chance to win their division than to make the 8th seed in the East. The Panthers have never been consistent, and unfortunately, that’s exactly what it’s going to take for this team to make a playoff run. Grade: C
