HockeyCrucial off-season awaits Panthers

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The Panthers have just $18 million in salary committed for next season, which gives them about $30 million to the expected floor. (Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

"At Vancouver game. Wild atmosphere! Lots of energy and passion! They love their hockey here."

--Florida Panthers President
Michael Yormark's Twitter feed, May 25

NHL destinations don't get farther apart than Florida and Vancouver, but Michael Yormark made the trip for Game 5, visiting clients before watching the Canucks close out San Jose.

Thirty minutes before puck drop, the atmosphere was already electric.

"Awesome ... Inspiring," Yormark called it. "This is what we need. It's been too long for us."

Yes it has. The Panthers have the longest current playoff drought in the NHL. It's been 11 years since ice was needed in Sunrise in mid-April, and that was a meek 4-0 defeat to the New Jersey Devils. Florida's made the post-season only three times since its 1993-94 debut, and all of its springtime victories came in the rat-fuelled Stanley Cup Final run of 1996.

That was a magical time for the franchise. Plastic rodents showering the ice after every goal, as a veteran group literally clawed its way past Boston, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The fact Colorado overwhelmed Florida for the Cup couldn't kill the enthusiasm.

But that's the Paleozoic Era now.

This is an enormous off-season for the Panthers. Almost 1,000 kilometres to the North, an NHL franchise is gone. Atlanta's move to Winnipeg erased one trouble spot, but there are others. Phoenix remains uncertain, and there are big questions about this situation, too.

"This summer will be a game-changer for us," Yormark said. "You simply can't attract fans when you haven't been to the playoffs in 10 years. They showed loyalty when we were good ...We had 16,000 season-seat holders when we moved into our new arena ... If we can get back to that level, the fans are there. They will support us."

No team enters the summer with more flexibility than Florida. The Panthers have just $18 million in salary committed for next season, which gives them about $30 million to the expected floor. There are ways to manoeuvre around that (like the Islanders do) if they choose, but it sounds like the team wants to make a statement.

"(General Manager Dale Tallon) did a great job giving us flexibility," Yormark said. "We have the opportunity to re-shape, long-term and short-term. We need to try to win as quickly as we can."

That kind of budget space can be very dangerous, though. I'm reading The Extra 2% - a really interesting book about MLB's Tampa Bay Rays. It discusses their early mistakes in running that franchise and one of the biggest was panicking after winning only 132 games in their first two seasons. They added aging stars like Greg Vaughn, Vinny Castilla and Jose Canseco to a lineup that already featured Fred McGriff, calling it "The Hit Show." Tampa was off by one letter.

It was a total failure. Vaughn became the poster boy. Signed to a four-year, $34 million contract, the Rays were still paying him five years after he was gone.

Then, there's the front office. Stephen Weiss was drafted by the Panthers in 2001. Since then, he's spoken to six general managers and Dineen will be his seventh coach. That's got to stop, and the first steps look promising. Tallon's hiring gave the franchise credibility. Judging how several NHL executives view Kevin Dineen, the new coach's hiring was also a home run. He's nurtured the last three AHL rookies of the year, and there will be plenty of youth on the Florida roster.

On Monday, Yormark will announce some off-ice changes. The Panthers will "go back to their roots" when it comes to uniform design and there will be upgrades to the BankAtlantic Center. (Jeff Vinik initiated changes at The St. Pete Times-Forum that made ticket-holders very happy.)

"This is a repositioning plan," Yormark said. "We've got to change perception."

Yes, they do. Yormark's parents raised two children clearly unafraid of big challenges, as his brother Brett is President & CEO of the NBA's New Jersey Nets. The Panthers have a lot of work to do and a legacy of defeat.

A new CBA will also be critical to Florida's future, since there are doubts about the kinds of revenue it can raise. But, you have no chance at all without on-ice success. Just ask the hard-core Thrashers fans what a lengthy non-playoff streak does to your franchise.

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