Panthers – Canadian | Paul Maurice dodges draft lottery question

Have the Panthers’ activities ever been followed as assiduously by Quebec hockey fans as this season? To ask the question, is to answer it.

The Panthers land in Montreal Thursday night, which will allow fans of the Canadian to follow more closely this team to which they wish all the misfortunes of the world.

Recall that last winter, the Panthers gave the Habs their pick of 1^er turn in the next draft (as well as a choice of 4^e turn in 2022 and Ty Smilanic, a marginal prospect) to obtain Ben Chiarot.

Paul Maurice hadn’t been hired as Panthers head coach yet, but we’re guessing he’s aware his team doesn’t have a first pick in the upcoming draft, right? Is not it ?

“You just taught me that,” he told the colleague who raised the issue during the Panthers’ morning practice at the Bell Centre. It’s really not on my radar screen. Someone once told me that the value of a pick after 23^e rank is the same as for any other choice. Choices of 1^er turn are wonderful, especially ones that can change a franchise overnight. But the others, it can take four years, so it doesn’t interest the coaches as much as everyone else. »

The problem is that there is in the next draft one of those players with the potential to change a franchise: Connor Bedard. The other problem? From 1^er overall rank last year, the Panthers tumbled to four points from last playoff spot, and most of the other teams in the fight have played fewer games than them.

However, the teams finishing 22^e at 32^e ranks all have chances of winning the draft lottery at 1^er rank. General Managers, when they trade a future pick of 1^er turn, will moreover often provide for a protection clause, either that if the said choice is a top 3for example, the team will then give up a pick the following year.

But Bill Zito did not negotiate such a provision and the Panthers, in percentage of points obtained, are currently 23^are in the NHL. In short, they would have a chance of winning the lottery or at least of offering a quality choice to Canadians. All that for two months of Chiarot, who then signed a contract in Detroit…

The Panthers have been better of late, however, going 5-2-1 in their last eight games. The healthy return of Aleksander Barkov – you know, the guy who scored three goals and two assists against CH on December 29? – is no stranger to it.

“We had sick guys, we lost Barkov for a month [NDLR : 10 matchs], we traveled and had injuries. But the image of our team was clear this summer, when we saw the players we lost. We knew we would have adversity after a 122-point season and we had to deal with that, but I told Bill Zito that I was going to lead this team to play harder. »

“We want to be better defensively than last year,” added Barkov. We are building our game for the end of the season. We know that we must first qualify for the playoffs. Last year, it was 100% in attack. We won games where we lost 4-1 or 5-1, thanks to our attack. This year, we are trying to play more defensively. We create a lot of chances despite everything, but it does not fit. We create enough to score enough goals. »

The Panthers deploy the 11^e NHL offense this season (3.28 goals scored per game), but the 23^e defense (3.41 goals against). Last year, they presented the best attack in the circuit (average of 4.11 goals scored), and the 12^e defense. This average of 4.11 goals was also the best of a team since the Penguins of 1995-1996 (4.41).

A tribute

In addition, Maurice has the former Canadian Eric Staal in its ranks this season. The veteran is back after missing last season, playing only in the Olympics and the American League. In 39 games, Staal has 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists).

Staal is expected to play the game at the center of the fourth line, with wingers Ryan Lomberg and Givani Smith, two energy players. At the turn of an answer about this unit, Maurice returned to the trio that Staal formed with Joel Armia and Corey Perry during the 2021 playoffs. Maurice was then at the helm of the Winnipeg Jets, which CH beat in the 2^e round.

“This trio [celui de Staal cette saison], when you have the right confrontations, Armia-Staal-Perry reminds me. It was this trio that beat us. Phillip Danault had been very good defensively, but that line, at the end of the series, they sent him against any of our lines and we were unable to touch the puck. »