Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito had some explaining to do with reporters at the end of the final day to make deals, March 3, 2023.
“I believe in our group. We find ourselves in a difficult situation, without a shadow of a doubt. But our locker room is strong, we believe in it and we will not let our fans down. If I had been in a position to make a trade to improve the team, I would have done it. We analyzed all the situations and we chose not to move. »
The Panthers were, however, four points behind the last place giving access to the playoffs, with only 19 games to play.
We could nevertheless understand Zito’s caution last season. A year earlier, he had given the Philadelphia Flyers a first-round pick in 2025 and young power forward Owen Tippett for Claude Giroux, a player borrowed for a few months, at the dawn of his full autonomy.
* Tippett had 30 points, including 18 goals, this season in Philadelphia and he just signed an eight-year contract extension for 49 million.
He also sacrificed another first-round pick in 2023 for Ben Chiarot, a defender also a few months away from full autonomy. The Canadian used this choice, 31e total, to acquire Alex Newhook, adding the 37e total choice.
The Panthers that year eliminated the Washington Capitals in the first round, but were swept in four straight games by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the next round.
But in 2023, a few months after returning empty-handed from the hunt for rental players, Zito and the Florida Panthers reached the Stanley Cup final…
Their opponents in the final, the Vegas Golden Knights, were barely more active. They gave the Blues a 20-year-old prospect drafted at the end of the first round in 2021, Zach Dean, in whom they no longer believed, to obtain Ivan Barbashev. He was smoking hot in the playoffs, with 18 points in 22 games and he signed a contract extension last summer. In his first season in the American League, Dean, a center, totaled four points, including two goals, in 34 games.
The semi-finalists? The Carolina Hurricanes gave up a 2026 third-round pick for defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. The Dallas Stars gave a 2025 second-round pick for Max Domi and Denis Gurianov to the Canadian for Evgeni Dadonov. Gurianov, 26, is tossed between the American League and the NHL in the Nashville Predators organization this winter.
The Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs have been the most active in the 2023 free agent market.
First overall, the Bruins gave up first-round picks in 2023 and 2024, 2e and 4e rounds in 2025 and fifth round in 2023 for two possible unrestricted free agents, but in the prime of life, defender Dmitry Orlov and winger Tyler Bertuzzi. To everyone’s surprise, they lost in the first round to the Panthers and their two acquisitions left the organization at the end of the season. These two first round picks are or will be located after the 25the rank, so no drama, but the stunts didn’t work.
The Maple Leafs had to pass the first round for the first time since 2004 to avoid a major administrative cleaning, and perhaps the explosion of the core of players.
For Ryan O’Reilly, Sam Lafferty, Noel Acciari and defensemen Jake McCabe and Luke Schenn, they traded 2024 and 2025 first-round picks, 2024 second-round picks, 2023 third-round picks and 2025 fourth-round picks They at least had the intelligence to get back a late first round pick for their young defenseman Rasmus Sandin, and two fifth round picks from the Blackhawks in the deal for McCabe.
After their final four in 2022, the Rangers wanted to break through further. Two players borrowed for a few months, wingers Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane, cost a late first round and second round pick in 2023, third round pick in 2024 and 2025 and fourth round pick in 2025. New York nevertheless lost in the first round against the Devils and head coach Gerard Gallant was fired.
The Los Angeles Kings surrendered on the 22nde total pick in 2023 to the Columbus Blue Jackets for goalie Joonas Korpisalo and defensive defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. They were eliminated in the first round by the Oilers. Korpisalo joined the Senators on the free agent market, Gavrikov signed a contract extension, but promising defenseman Sean Durzi had to be chased away to reduce payroll.
The Oilers were smarter. They gave up a first-round pick in 2023 (24e total) to the Predators for defenseman Mattias Ekholm, but he was under contract for an additional year. Edmonton advanced through a playoff round and Ekholm is still with the team.
Senators GM Pierre Dorion sacrificed the 12the overall pick in 2023, and second-round picks in 2024 and 2026 for Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun. Ottawa hoped to make the playoffs. They missed them and are languishing in the cellar of the standings this year, but Chychrun is under contract for another season and we can probably get at least one first round pick back if we eventually trade him. Dorion’s successors, obviously, since he lost his position a few months ago…
What will general managers do on March 3, 2024? There will undoubtedly still be fans of Russian roulette.
Kaapo Kakko on the market?
PHOTO JAYNE KAMIN-ONCEA, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Kaapo Kakko
The Rangers won’t be discouraged by their experience last year, it seems. They are considering trading the second overall pick in 2019, Kaapo Kakko, for reinforcement, according to Darren Dreger. They lost their young (third) center, Filip Chytil, for the season.
Kakko, 22, is having a difficult season, only six points in 28 games, after an encouraging year of 40 points the previous season. Will New York dare to trade him for a player borrowed for a few months, like Elias Lindholm, Sean Monahan or Adam Henrique? We should really no longer believe in him…