Looking ahead for the Florida Panthers: Time to go big in free agency

As each NHL team is eliminated from playoff contention -- either mathematically or by losing in the postseason -- we'll take a look at why its quest for the Stanley Cup fell short in 2018-19, along with three keys to its offseason, impact prospects for 2019-20 and a way-too-early prediction for what next season will hold.

What went wrong

Some of us [author coughs loudly and emphatically] saw the Florida Panthers as not only a playoff team that would earn north of 95 points but also a potential contender to win the Eastern Conference ... and boy, were we wrong. The Panthers had a 96-point 2017-18 season that saw them barely miss the playoffs. They followed it with a rancid campaign that lacked consistency and, frequently, any semblance of competent defense or goaltending. Having the worst save percentage in the NHL (.890) is generally not recommended.

When it went wrong? While the rest of us were making New Year's resolutions, the Panthers were embarking on a seven-game winless streak that torpedoed their season.

Despite Aleksander Barkov's 88 points and solid goal-scoring from Mike Hoffman, Jonathan Huberdeau and Evgenii Dadonov, this became another lost season for a team that has made the playoffs only twice since 2001. But success could be a few key offseason decisions away ...

Keys to the offseason

The future of Bob Boughner. The level of regression doesn't reflect well on a head coach, even if some of it is the product of shoddy goaltending. The Panthers' underlying numbers are actually slightly ahead in some major categories -- shot attempts and scoring chance percentage at 5-on-5 -- of where they were last season. Of course, that could just be a product of the team's uptick in quality after the All-Star break -- 13-11-4, so don't plan the parade quite yet -- during what amounts to garbage time.

Although -- and this is fair -- one could credit Boughner with getting this team to still play hard when the playoffs were out of reach. That could be enough to earn him one more short-leash season, what with the amount of quality candidates currently without jobs. Or, perhaps, Joel Quenneville decides he likes the weather and his former GM Dale Tallon, and Boughner is then also without a job.

Figure out the goaltending. Roberto Luongo turned 40 this month and is in the midst of the worst season of his storied, 19-year NHL career. He has three more years with a $4,533,333 annual cap hit on his contract, but this was supposed to be it for him, as his base salary drops to a paltry $1.618 million next season. He recently told Sportsnet that it's Florida or bust as far as the rest of his career. The cap recapture implications for both the Panthers and the Vancouver Canucks, who signed him to that mammoth, 12-year deal Luongo infamously said "sucked" a few trade deadlines ago, likely mean that Luongo would end up on long-term injured reserve if the Panthers decide it's the end for him.

James Reimer, 30, has two years left at $3.4 million annually against the cap. He was a major disappointment this season, with a .902 save percentage in 35 games. It was his worst season since 2012. Rookie Sam Montembeault, 22, is getting a trial by fire this season. The team likes him, but how much upside does he have?

Of course, the ultimate question about the team's goaltending is the ultimate question for the offseason ...

Will Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky take their talents to (relatively near) South Beach? There are enough people in the NHL's gossip circles claiming that Columbus Blue Jackets stars Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky are bound for South Florida that you have to lend it credence. Their contract demands would be enormous, but Tallon has been deftly clearing cap space for the past year and could clear more by shipping out Mike Hoffman.

It's a move that would have a transformative effect on the Panthers and perhaps even the market. What's more, it's plausible: Panarin has a residence in Miami, and well, the lack of a state income tax would certainly make signing blockbuster free-agent deals with the Panthers a little more enticing.

Impact prospects for 2019-20

Owen Tippett, RW, age 20: There was a lot of speculation that Tippett would make the Panthers this season after getting a seven-game look in 2017-18, but he was sent back to junior before the season began. Tippett has continued to work on his craft, which is highlighted by an elite shot and high-end offensive skill set. He was one of Canada's best players at a disappointing World Juniors and has been scoring at a solid clip since he was traded to the Saginaw Spirit. Tippett finished his final OHL season with 74 points including 33 goals.

Tippett has good size, strength and skating to go with those offensive tools, but his defensive capabilities are not as strong, which is why he has struggled to endear himself to Florida's coaching staff. I think 2019-20 is when he breaks through, even if that means spending some time in the AHL to start. The offensive skills are absolutely there for him to contribute at the NHL level.

Sam Montembeault, G, age 22: The Panthers have had to call on their young netminder already this season, and he has had some good moments and some bad. Because the Panthers have a pair of veteran goalies under contract long-term, Montembeault doesn't have to be the guy for a while, but he's an injury away from being pressed into action again. He has gotten significant AHL reps and has shown year-to-year improvement. Having a quality young player you can rely on in spot starts -- and potentially backing up at various points of the season -- is helpful.

Realistic expectation for 2019-20

If either or both of the Russians come, then the expectation is a playoff spot, and a lack of one means people will lose their jobs.

If the Panthers don't land Panarin or Bobrovsky, the team needs to address its defensive downgrade, its depth and its goaltending. How sufficiently it does so will determine how far it bounces back from this dud of a season.