Around the NHL in 30 Days: Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers shocked many in the h

ockey world by going on a spending spree of which women everywhere would be proud, completely revamping their team on the first day of free agency with several big moves. The Rat Trick’s Frank Rekas examines the moves and looks at whether they will be enough to get the Panthers into the top eight of the Eastern Conference in 2011-12. Rekas writes:

"A new slogan (We See Red), a new head coach (Kevin Dineen), and eleven new players give the fan base of the Florida Panthers reason to believe that things will finally be different.  A complete house cleaning that began at the trade deadline in March, and continued into the off season, the Florida Panthers and general manager Dale Tallon are following through on their promise of change.  Change the attitude, change the culture, change the direction, and change the expectations of this franchise.   I have lived through the broken promises and empty threats of change in the past, and am here to tell you that this time it’s different.  It has to be.  This franchise has missed the post season 11 years running, and it needs to stop.  I’m not saying that this is the year, but I am saying that we’re close."

Read the rest of the preview at The Rat Trick.