Right.

He can be that guy here.

He's being put in a situation to succeed.

Now, I will say with the caveat that I'm gonna put that Paul Maurice wants to give Sam Reinhart a chance to really get some mileage playing center, and that's a little bit of a transition for a few guys, and that's Brady's line right now.

So I, I don't wanna say I'm giving them a, like some time, uh, just in terms of like my patience personally, but we need to see Brady.

We, the Panthers need to see Brady Tkachuk step up, or they need to see somebody on that line step up.

Um, but yeah, like I- you can see like why he is who he is.

Is it rust? Is it all, is it more getting used to it than we know? Or is there something else missing besides just the captain, like the essence, the soul of the team? Like, do you see the same, the same Cats that we're used to as far as, like, people hate playing this team?

Right.

He can be that guy here.

He's being put in a situation to succeed.

Now, I will say with the caveat that I'm gonna put that Paul Maurice wants to give Sam Reinhart a chance to really get some mileage playing center, and that's a little bit of a transition for a few guys, and that's Brady's line right now.

So I, I don't wanna say I'm giving them a, like, some time, uh, just in terms of, like, my patience personally, but we need to see Brady.

We, the Panthers need to see Brady Tkachuk step up, or they need to see somebody on that line step up.

Um, but yeah, like I ...

Is it more getting used to it than we know? Or is there something else missing besides just the captain, like the essence, the soul of the team? Like, do you see the same, the same Cats that we're used to as far as, like, n- people hate playing this team?

But what's he expected to provide this year?

It was a bit of a surprise.

Before the season, Paul Maurice, Bill Zito had all spoken about Brad Marchand and updated us at that time.

And the thought was November.

At some point during the month of November was what they were shooting for.

This is October 6th as we sit here.

He played two days ago.

I know, I know, it's a cheesy joke, but how has Markstrom fit in in his return to Florida?

But what's he expected to provide this year?

It was a bit of a surprise.

Before the season, Paul Maurice, Bill Zito had all spoken about Brad Marchand and updated us at that time.

And the thought was November.

At some point during the month of November was what they were shooting for.

This is October 6th as we sit here.

He played two days ago.

I know, I know, it's a cheesy joke, but how has Markstrom fit in in his return to Florida?

I wonder what's the – if the Panthers are holding an open lineup spot, just in case, what, what do you think about that? When you heard first heard of that report?

I I'd like, I'd like to see Vladimir Sanko, Tara Sanko come back just by virtue of like, I like him.

He's a really nice guy.

Like I, he, he did well when he was with the Panthers, when they won their first Stanley cup.

I just, where, like, where's he going to go? Like this is somebody that, you know, he's trying to sign a contract for the season.

He's not somebody that's looking to sign a minimum deal.

Like, And that's really all that there is down here.

Yeah,

Once you start there, doesn't your team and your franchise automatically, when you say that, start looking somewhere else?

Yeah.

A- and look, this is a team that, the, the reason that they're built into this championship contending large window of opportunity franchise that they are is because they've signed so many guys to contracts that wouldn't hinder them, that won't anchor them down, down the line.

Uh, you've seen it, you know, across the board.

So many of the guys that Bill Zito brought on have taken team-friendly extensions, uh, for less money so that the team, they can put that extra few million bucks into the team, and that's why they're so deep, that's why they've been so successful.

And what the idea was that was gonna fall in line with all that just because all of his teams had and they all raved about him and all that.

Uh, so yeah, it doesn't surprise me at all that once, uh, it became clear to Bill Zito and his guys that Bob was looking for X amount of dollars, and that just didn't fall within what they were viewing as their big picture of how they're gonna do this team.

Like, we see it happen in sports all over the time where guys get in, in their certain feelings about stuff.

Once you start there, doesn't your team and your franchise automatically when you say that, start looking somewhere else?

Yeah.

A- and look, this is a team that, the, the reason that they're built into this championship contending large window of opportunity franchise that they are is because they've signed so many guys to contracts that wouldn't hinder them, that won't anchor them down, down the line.

Uh, you've seen it, you know, across the board.

So many of the guys that Bill Zito brought on have taken team-friendly extensions, uh, for less money so that the team, they can put that extra few million bucks into the team, and that's why they're so deep, that's why they've been so successful.

And what the idea was that was gonna fall in line with all that just because all of his teams had and they all raved about him and all that.

Uh, so yeah, it doesn't surprise me at all that once, uh, it became clear to Bill Zito and his guys that Bob was looking for X amount of dollars, and that just didn't fall within what they were viewing as their big picture of how they're gonna do this team.

At one point, I'm ready to go." Like, we see it happen in sports all over the time where guys get in, in their certain feelings about stuff.

Hockey fans around the world were kind of surprised of kind of how this all played out here.

Yeah, I think the progression of it was interesting to kind of see play out.

I think from the start, and I'll preface this by saying that it kind of became, I hadn't thought about it in a while until recently, but it kind of became very apparent to me that in all the years that Bob was here, and all the years that we were covering him, we don't really know a whole lot about him.

He's never really been a guy who opens up very much about his personal life.

We don't really know what drives him that much.

Obviously, we know he's happy here.

He's a family man.

How do you feel that they settled on Jacob March? And was that a reflection of more the market or the Panthers really high on him?

Is this team just cup or bust again?

Yeah, their window is now.

I think last season was just kind of a one-off.

It's not even called a one-off because it wasn't necessarily in their own doing.

It was just all these injuries came together all at once.

Because at no point during the regular season were they like, yeah, we're just going to look at this as kind of, as you said, a retooling year or a year to rest our bones.

They were pushing until the very end when it became apparent that they weren't going to have enough gas to get across the finish line.

How does Connor Hellebuck get to South Florida?

What do you think's gonna happen, uh, with a guy like Sergei Bobrovsky? And again, even Daniil Tarasov still, uh, hasn't been signed either.

Yeah, it's, it, it maybe changes things a little bit.

I know that, like, uh, to this point, uh, I personally had been thinking that the Panthers and Bobrovsky would find a way to get something done.

Bob has been a great team player, somebody who his teammates love down here since he got here, particularly since they've gone on this run.

But what we've seen under Bill Zito with all Florida's top players, all the stars that he's locked up, is that everybody has stayed for term on a team-friendly deal, uh, in order to put, you know, what they're leaving on the table back into the team and build this ridiculously deep roster.

So there, the thought was, and personally I, I thought this was gonna be the case, that Bob would take that, uh, go down that path as well, and take something team-friendly.

And look, he's gonna be 38 years old at opening night.

Mm-hmm.

What do you think's gonna happen, uh, with a guy like Sergei Bobrovsky? And again, even Daniil Tarasov still, uh, hasn't been signed either.

Yeah, it's, it, it maybe changes things a little bit.

I know that, like, uh, to this point, uh, I personally had been thinking that the Panthers and Bobrovsky would find a way to get something done.

Bob has been a great team player, somebody who his teammates love down here since he got here, particularly since they've gone on this run.

But what we've seen under Bill Zito with all Florida's top players, all the stars that he's locked up, is that everybody has stayed for term on a team-friendly deal, uh, in order to put, you know, what they're leaving on the table back into the team and build this ridiculously deep roster.

So there, the thought was, and personally I, I thought this was gonna be the case, that Bob would take that, uh, go down that path as well, and take something team-friendly.

And look, he's gonna be 38 years old at opening night.

Mm-hmm.

Do you think that Lundell will be able to hold a power play one spot and a top six role, or do you think he's back to third line and probably off the top power play next season?

Probably off the top power play next season.

Just y- it's a volume game, and when you're throwing out Barkov, Reinhart, Tkachuk, one of the defensemen, whether it's Ekblad or Forsling or Seth Jones, it's just there, there's a l- not a lot to work around.

We haven't even mentioned Brad Marchand yet, and that's another guy who just ...

A- ageless is the best way I can come up with.

I don't know.

I, I didn't start watching him in person until he showed up in Florida, but good God is he skilled for a guy who's a g- like my age almost.

So how do you see this working out in the crease for them, and what do you think the starts and roles are gonna be for these guys, David?

Bill Zito's looking at... disgruntled people north of the border and think to himself, does anybody want a top 10 pick? Does Bill Zito have the mechanisms to go big game hunting, or does he use that trade for something a little bit more supplemental to the roster, or do you think he uses it? What do you think would be the way the Panthers lean with their maneuvers this year?

I'd be surprised if they end up taking the pick only because this team is in such a win now mode that using that and flipping it into something that you can inject into the roster immediately, that's going to help your Stanley cup chances right now makes a lot of sense.

Uh, you mentioned some name that I think we're going to be tracking at least now between the draft, uh, in all, you know, a little less than two months, Connor Hellebuck, you know, obviously the Panther situation with Sergey Bobrovsky, he's an unrestricted free agent.

Uh, obviously both sides, it's been well-reported that both sides want to get something done and Bob wants to stay in South Florida.

Um, so I'd be really surprised if that doesn't happen, but even still Bob's going to be 30, but 38 years old at opening night.

Um, next season.

They've already been limiting his starts over the last few years, trying to keep him around the 50 to 55 range.

Paul is Ottawa expecting, because we remember when we traded for Kachuk, it took trading Huberto, who, yes, it worked out awesome for the Panthers, but that guy was a beloved Panther at the time.

Yeah.

But I do not mess with the man's training regimen.

And if that's what Roy says he needs-

All right.

I see now that you're right, but I still don't get why it changes, but that's for a different day.

... stashing away Tkachuk so that they could get a Marchand?

I think there's a lot of anger in the world out there, and I think Panther fans don't give a bleep about it because they were the ones that were angry. Now they have this opportunity to do what, you know, teams wish they could do. Uh, I- I think reaction on Twitter has been fun to see, just because I think from our perspective we're just, uh, basking in the greatness of what the Panthers are doing right now. And everyone else can just kinda cry about it.

(laughs) Okay, good. Breaking news.

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