So I was watching the Bruins vs Isles game last night and one player stood out to me, that was Michael Grabner. So the Spoked-C texted me during the game and said “Grabner is f-ing sick.” So being the beacon of hockey knowledge that the Spoked one is, I asked him where the hell Grabner came from, and his response was “hahaha the Florida Panthers.” We shared a good laugh at how the Panthers might not only be the worst ownership in hockey, but in all of sports. Let’s take a look back at some of the great Florida Panther moments in the last year.
1. Panthers trade Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell to the Boston Bruins for Dennis Wideman, the 15th pick in the 2010 Draft and a 3rd round pick in the 2011 Draft.
This trade might seem fair for those who do not know about the Bruins, or hockey in general because trading De
nnis Wideman for a potential 35 goal scorer and a scrappy fourth line penalty killer is a horrible move for the Panthers. They traded one of their cornerstone players in Horton, for a player who had become the scapegoat for Bruins fans. There was not too many people hated more in Boston than Dennis Wideman after some of the mind-boggling plays he would make at the blue line. Fans were happy to see him go, and for what we got in return, the Panthers look like a clear sucker in this deal. Having Bryan McCabe and Dennis Wideman anchor your defense is just absolutely waiting for the worst case scenario to explode in your face. F-up number one for the Panthers
nnis Wideman for a potential 35 goal scorer and a scrappy fourth line penalty killer is a horrible move for the Panthers. They traded one of their cornerstone players in Horton, for a player who had become the scapegoat for Bruins fans. There was not too many people hated more in Boston than Dennis Wideman after some of the mind-boggling plays he would make at the blue line. Fans were happy to see him go, and for what we got in return, the Panthers look like a clear sucker in this deal. Having Bryan McCabe and Dennis Wideman anchor your defense is just absolutely waiting for the worst case scenario to explode in your face. F-up number one for the Panthers
2. A letter to season ticket holders in middle of 2010 season saying how sorry they were and that big changes were coming.
When? How? They have done absolutely nothing to change their ways and once again find themselves on the outskirts of the playoff picture and leaving their season ticket holders questioning the “big changes” coming to the franchise. They are currently last in the Eastern conference with 70 points with 2 games to play. They are third worst in the NHL and do not show too many signs of turng this around like the ownership had promised. Here’s an idea, if you know you suck, dont send a letter to your loyal fans saying big changes are coming. Maybe send a letter saying, “Hey guys, sorry we suck, we’re working on it, check back in a few years.” That might go over better with the fans. F-up number two.
3. On October 5, 2010 the Florida Panthers put Michael Grabner on waivers in which he was immediately picked up by the Islanders.
Slow Clap for the Florida Panthers. They released a 23 year old Austrian native and then watched him to go on and score 33 goals while tallying 17 assists for the Isles. Granted the Islanders will not make the playoffs either, but their future looks a lot better with some budding young starts like John Tavares and Kyle Okposo, while also sustaining some savvy vets in Doug Weight and Ricky DiPietro. I can name about 3 people on the entire Panthers roster and two of them are Wideman and Byron Bitz. So basically what I am saying is go suck an egg Panthers because you f-ing blow. And I feel like every god damn time I get tickets to a B’s game they are playing Florida and I want to shoot myself in the dick.
Big thanks to the Spoked-C for all his help. Leo sucks……
I dont believe you have enough knowledge about these subjects to write about it without being very biased.
1. Dale Tallon came in as our new GM in May, and the first thing he did was to ask each of the players on the roster if they wanted to be traded. He only wants players who are willing to compete for the team, and Horton was a player who said “I want to be traded”.
Dale wants to build his own team, so the picks were obviously going to be a part of the deal. To include Wideman was also smart by Tallon since we lacked a right-handed shot from the blueline, and Wideman might have been a scape goat in Boston, but he is still a very good offensive defenseman. The trade wasn't a big loss for Florida, Horton was constantly accused of floating by us panther fans, and most of us were happy to see him go.
2. That letter was sent out to inform STH'ers that the past owners (yes, we had a change in owners 2009) and managers attempt to build a team had failed, and they were now going to blow it up and start again. We all knew our team wasn't good enough, and many fans welcomed that letter. There were big changes happening after that. They hired Dale Tallon, we had a monster draft, we acquired players from FA who all wanted to prove something and they all played with a sense of desperation day in and out. We're looking to have another big draft this year with 7 picks in the first 3 rounds.
3. Grabner didnt make the team off training camp. Other players were better than him. No one could have known he would go on to score 33 goals with the isles, he had proved nothing in vancouver before. Yes it sucks that we lost him, but there isnt any guarantees he would make those 30 goals if he would have played on the panthers anyways, so I just think that the entire argument about it is irrelevant.