Florida Panthers Are Top-Five in the Eastern Conference Title Odds Despite Missing Playoffs Last Year and Whiffing on Panarin in Free Agency

• The Florida Panthers finished ten points out of a playoff spot last season
• The Panthers acquired Sergei Bobrovsky, Anton Stralman and Brett Connolly, and hired Joel Quenneville
• The Panthers had a top-10 offense and the second-ranked power play last season

The Florida Panthers whiffed on Artemi Panarin but still had a positive offseason. As a result, they’ve shot up the board and are among the top five teams in NHL Eastern Conference odds next season. However, they missed the playoffs last year, so is that expectation too unrealistic? Let’s take a closer look to see if this team is a tad overhyped.

Odds To Win 2020 NHL Eastern Conference

*Odds taken 7/17/19

Panthers Improved in Free Agency

The Panthers may have missed out on Artemi Panarin in free agency as he spurned the team for the New York Rangers. However, the Panthers did solve their biggest need: goaltending. They picked up Sergei Bobrovsky and should greatly improve their performance between the pipes.

Outside of that, the Panthers also upgraded their blueline with the addition of Anton Stralman. They needed a steady, stay-at-home defenseman and he should fill that void. And while the team missed on Panarin, they did get Brett Connolly, who had 22 goals with the Washington Capitals last season.

Panthers Had Top-10 Offense, Power Play Last Season

Although the Panthers didn’t make the playoffs last season, it wasn’t due to their offense. They finished ninth in goals scored with 3.22 per game and finished with the league’s second-best power play. Only the Tampa Bay Lightning scored more frequently with their power play.

Their biggest flaw was goaltending last season as the Panthers were 30th in save percentage. They finished the year at just .891 and allowed the fourth-most goals per game. So while they’d love to have Panarin on the roster, adding a Vezina Trophy candidate like Bobrovsky was more important.

Young Roster on the Rise

There might not be a more exciting young roster than the Panthers in the Eastern Conference. Aleksander Barkov is a star, Jonathan Huberdeau is right there with him and a slew of other young players are on the rise. They’ll have players like Aleksi Heponiemi, Grigori Denisenko and Owen Tippett pushing for time too.

But the biggest change in the team could be coaching as head coach Joel Quenneville could really make a big difference. He’s a coach with pedigree and has shown in the past that he knows how to push the right buttons.

The Panthers weren’t particularly good with puck possession last season and tied for the second-worst mark in terms of takeaways-giveaways. Hiring a shrewd head coach like Quenneville could really turn that around.

Panthers Have a Shot in the East

It’s safe to say that the Tampa Bay Lightning will be the top (or among the top) teams in the Eastern Conference next season. But who is there behind them? The Toronto Maple Leafs should be as well as the Boston Bruins, but it’s a bit open beyond that. The Washington Capitals are in that top-5 conversation too.

But for the Panthers, if their young players take a step forward, Bobrovsky plays well in net and Quenneville solves their possession/giveaway blues, this team should be among the ones with a shot in the Eastern Conference. There’s decent value with this team at +1000 as they’re capable of emerging as a contender.