Life is sometimes funny.
Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito played big last year at the trade deadline to help his team break into the playoffs.
Zito first traded his 2023 first-round pick, a 2022 fourth-round pick and prospect Ty Smilanic for Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot, a short-term acquisition as he would enjoy the full autonomy a few months later.
Three days later, he traded his young winger Owen Tippett, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick for forward Claude Giroux, a player of similar status to Chiarot.
Despite their 122-point season and first overall, the Panthers were swept in the second round by the Tampa Bay Lightning after defeating the Washington Capitals in the first round.
The Panthers had no more first- or second-round picks to sacrifice this year. That of 2025 was not available either, sold to the Calgary Flames the previous summer to obtain Matthew Tkachuk against Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. Florida was supposed to take a step back in the short term since it was giving up two important pieces to get one.
The Panthers have slipped in the standings in the regular season compared to the previous year, admittedly. They were the worst team to make the playoffs with 92 points and ranked 17th overall, with fewer points than the out West Flames.
But by virtue of another victory at the expense of the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night, with Sergei Bobrovsky still imperial in net, they are one small victory away from reaching the Stanley Cup final for the second time in their career. history, after their memorable spring of 1996, in their third year of existence…
The Panthers’ situation is in some ways reminiscent of the 2018 Washington Capitals. At the trade deadline the previous season, GM Brian MacLellan traded his 2017 first-round and 2019 second-round picks for a short-handed acquisition. term, defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk.
That disappointed, not even being used 19 minutes per game, and Washington was knocked out in the second round for a third consecutive season.
The 2017-2018 season was going to be difficult. The team was stuck with the salary cap and the GM had to sacrifice important elements to comply with the rules. Despite a 58-point season, Marcus Johansson was traded to the New Jersey Devils for second- and third-round picks. Justin Williams, Karl Alzner and Kevin Shattenkirk were not selected and they took advantage of their free agent status.
In a now famous statement, Alzner said he chose the Canadiens because his chances of winning the Stanley Cup were better in Montreal…
Despite everything, the Capitals were a hit in the regular season. But MacLellan remained wise at the trade deadline. He was content to give away third- and fifth-round picks for supporting defenders.
He was even reproached for his inactivity. Washington reporters reminded him that the Lightning, Penguins, Devils, Bruins, and Blue Jackets had all paid top dollar for backup. A few months later, the Capitals lifted the Stanley Cup for the first time in their history…
Eleven first-round picks changed hands at or in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline. But no choice of the semi-finalist teams was in the lot.
It is obviously not a question here of proscribing such attempts. The Toronto Maple Leafs might not have eliminated the Lightning in the first round if not for the arrival of Ryan O’Reilly, Noel Acciari and Jake McCabe.
The Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022 after giving up two prospects, Justin Barron and Drew Helleson, and two second-round picks, to get Artturi Lehkonen and Josh Manson.
The Lightning have never been shy about sacrificing first-round picks, making sure to keep the players they get for at least one more year.
The playoffs are a world where recipes no longer hold and chance plays a determining role.
The name of Quebecer Anthony Mantha arose in exchange discussions, says Frank Seravalli of TSN. Often injured, the 28-year-old Mantha has disappointed since being acquired from the Red Wings in 2021 for Jakub Vrana and first-round picks in 2021 (Sebastian Cossa) and second-round picks in 2022 (Dmitri Buchelnikov).
Mantha, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound winger, had just 27 points, including 11 goals, in 67 games last year. He was even scratched from training a few times this winter. But he had two seasons of 24 or more goals in Detroit.
He still has one year left on his contract at a salary of 5.7 million. If the Capitals really want to free up some payroll, they might even have to offer a draft pick to make it easier to get rid of it. Obviously, the dismissal of coach Pete Laviolette would not change his fate, if we trust Seravalli.
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