Panthers Best Third & Fourth Line Options Mike McCanna Despite a strong push toward the end of last season, the Florida Panthers failed to make the playoffs. Over the offseason, the Cats acquired former Ottawa Senator Mike Hoffman to shore up the second line. However, who will be a part of the bottom-six remains unclear. In this piece, I take a look into who I believe bench boss, Bob Boughner, will end up skating on the third and fourth lines this upcoming season. An Improved Third Line Vatrano-Borgstrom-McGinn/Tippett Expect to see 21-year-old Henrik Borgstrom centering the Panthers’ third line this season. The Finnish phenom dominated for the University of Denver last year, notching 52 points in 40 games. The question is how long will it take him to adjust to the speed of the NHL? Luckily for Florida, Borgstrom looked solid during his four-game stint with the team and even scored his first NHL goal against the Boston Bruins. In 16 games with the club, Frank Vatrano looked at home. After the Panthers acquired him from the Bruins before the trade deadline last season, he tallied eight points, including an assist on Borgstrom’s lone goal. It will be interesting to see how Vatrano’s numbers will change as he moves from playing with Vincent Trocheck to an inexperienced youngster in Borgstrom. However, with what we saw of Vatrano last season, expect him to be a breakout performer for the Panthers. Frank Vatrano looks to continue his success with the Panthers this upcoming season (Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports) Jamie McGinn looked to be a little out of his element while seeing second line action last season and totaled just 29 points in 76 games. At 30 years old, McGinn is set to make $3 million this season. With that type of money, it’s hard to see the Panthers giving him anything less than third line minutes. However, dropping McGinn from the second to third line can remove some scoring pressure and hopefully open up his game. Don’t expect McGinn to be too comfortable as 19-year-old Owen Tippett looks to compete for a roster spot this season. Tippett is a quick skater with a rocket of a shot and would be a great addition to the third line if he can find his footing in the NHL. However, we can’t expect him to come out of the gate running and because of that, I believe we will see him intermittently on the third line. Out of Touch Fourth Line Haley/Malgin-MacKenzie-Sceviour Who plays left wing on the fourth line is the most difficult position to determine. Unfortunately for enforcer Michael Haley, the NHL has evolved and teams now look for skill and skating ability on all four lines rather than his gritty style of play. With that being said, Boughner still loves that Haley is willing to get his hands dirty. However, with the Panthers finding themselves with an abundance of forward talent, I expect coach Boughner to begrudgingly scratch Haley more and more as the year progresses. Michael Haley, Florida Panthers Oct. 17, 2017 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers) Denis Malgin was productive in the 51 games he played in last year. While he played primarily at center, Malgin showed he is able to use his quick skating ability to create mismatches for himself and finished the season with 22 points. If Malgin can fight off the injury bug that followed him around last season, he would be a great addition to a fourth line in need of scoring help. Although it is evident that the league is changing, the fact of the matter is that Boughner has an old school hockey mentality who values intangibles such as leadership and toughness. That is why as long as team captain Derek MacKenzie wants to keep playing, he will be the fourth line center. He is revered in the locker room and does bring valuable experience to a team as young as the Panthers. Despite his lack of production, expect him to lead the fourth line this season. Captain Derek MacKenzie gears up for his 16th NHL season (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers) Colton Sceviour was the lone bright spot on the Panthers fourth line last season with 11 goals and 13 assists. His success has not gone unnoticed. In February, the Panthers rewarded Sceviour with a three-year extension with general manager Dale Tallon quoted as saying: “A reliable two-way player, Colton is an important part of our team both on the ice and in our locker room, for now and for the future.” Players like Sceviour are the new wave of NHL fourth liners and Panthers fans should feel lucky to have him. Final Thoughts The Panthers have made depth a priority this offseason and I feel strongly that they have succeeded in adding help to the second and third lines. But for the Panthers to be a legitimate four line threat, Boughner and the rest of the organization need to realize that although fighting and big hits bring nostalgia to the hearts of hockey fans, enforcers are less valuable than they once were. Florida Panthers head coach Bob Boughner has some tough decisions to make this season.(Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports) Players on the fourth line can no longer be one trick ponies or big bodied boxers, these types of players take roster spots from skaters who can have a greater impact on a nightly basis. Personally, I would like to see the Panthers use their fourth line in three main areas: puck possession, shot blocking/defensive prowess, and a scoring ability. Until the Panthers move away from players such as Shawn Thornton and Michael Haley, expect the fourth line to be nothing more than underwhelming. The post Panthers Best Third & Fourth Line Options appeared first on The Hockey Writers. ...read more
I think this article addresses a key concern for the Panthers - their logjam of depth at forward. Unfortunately, they don't have exceptional enough talent to pick out third and fourth liners from the bunch, and it's going to be a year-long fest of one player proving over the other, seeing who works with each other, who is needed for what matchup / situation... I think not having McCann on this list is an injustice. Where he fits is hard to say - I think it'll ultimately be either him or Borgstrom at third line center. While Borgstrom is highly hyped, and does need NHL time for development, McCann is the more complete player right now. They also re-signed McCann this offseason, if I remember right, so it's not like he's just out of the picture. I'd be willing to bet that McCann is the third line center for the first third / half of the season. Where it goes from there is anyone's guess. Vatrano was an animal in his short time here last year. Very excited to see him keep bringing it. However, as was mentioned, he won't have Trocheck to feed off of, and those two were potent together. McGinn is a well-rounded player, but has a lot to prove if he's going to keep playing valuable minutes with young talent behind him. I don't think Tippett will be NHL-ready enough this year to make the roster. If it were thinner, we'd have a conversation, but I don't think this team will be dying for an infusion of young talent enough to bring him up, when other guys can provide similar juice with more well-rounded games. Also, while Tippett does have a hell of a shot, he struggled in his NHL time at the start of last year. You could see him really struggling to find the right time to shoot, to use the little / closing space he had at times, and he just wasn't threatening NHL goalies the way he did against lower competition. Malgin is a talented player who should keep getting ice time, and shows surprising offensive talent every time he's on the ice. He's a guy that will be pushing everyone ahead of him, at all times. Given his versatility and previous playing time across multiple lines with multiple pairings, I think he's going to be a tough one for the coaches to place, and will afford a lot of opportunity for success and versatility. Sceviour is the man. Every time he's on the ice, he is absolutely selling out, and he's a competent enough skater and athlete to make it count. I found myself, at least every other game, wanting to high-five him through the TV screen, or shouting his name with a lot of other fans at the arena. Glad he's getting his dues, and he's a big part of this team's success. While he'll play with Mackenzie on the fourth line, the two of them see each other most importantly on the penalty kill, where they really earn their stripes. Mac may be old, and not an offensive threat, but he's a great defensive presence, and the team needs more of that. When Sceves and Mac are on the ice, they make for a tough group to score against. They also didn't include Maxim Mamin on this list, which I think is also a serious disservice similar to that of overlooking McCann. Mamin was a solid physical presence on the bottom line, and I think he can be the compromise between Haley's enforcer role and a more threatening skater both ways. You go back and watch those games, especially at the end of the season, and he was a noticeable contributor who continued to get better. I would bet on him having a role on that bottom line again, and it may be that he's the one to beat, amongst the candidates. He's willing to throw down the gloves, bang in the corners, play a defensive game, but also plays a part on offense. Ultimately, the coaching staff has some really tough decisions to make. I think we'll see the veterans get the favor early on, with lines potentially changing as cohesion / improvement dictates. I know everyone is hyping Borgstrom, but he'll have serious competition to get ice time. My guess, without seeing camp / preseason action? Very close to theirs, but with anticipation of it changing heavily as the season progresses. Dadonov - Barkov - Bjugstad Huberdeau - Trocheck - Hoffman Vatrano - McCann - McGinn Malgin - Mackenzie - Sceviour It's a very real possibility that McGinn suffers a Vrbata-like fall, and sees himself not only on the fourth line, but maybe even scratched. Malgin will push for time on the third line, and Mamin will push for fourth line time. McGinn is going to have to hold them and others off. McCann will also have to keep Borgstrom from taking his spot. We'll likely see Mac get a couple nights off to give the kid a shot, and to keep the vet rested. One thing is damn sure - I can't wait for the season to start.
