Paul Maurice appeared on the NHL @TheRink podcast on Wednesday and talked about the Florida Panthers' leadership, what they still need to improve on, the importance of identity and culture, and whether anything surprising will happen for them this season. I talked about why not.
Maurice is the featured guest on this week's episode, along with co-hosts Dan Rosen and Sean P. Roark.
He talked about how the Panthers were the second wild card last season and how they earned the right to play the historically great Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference first round.
Maurice said what seemed like the worst thing that could have happened was actually the best thing that happened to the Panthers. They won the series in seven games and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Panthers have a chance to finish as the top team in the East this season, and they know it doesn't matter when Game 1 begins.
“We learned everything there was to learn,” Maurice said.
Rosen and Rourke chatted with Maurice for nearly 20 minutes, as well as discussing the fallout from the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, specifically the Pittsburgh Penguins' decision to trade Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes and the return they received. I expressed my opinion.
Was Guentzel overrated or did the Penguins get the right return for him? That question and others were posed and answered on the podcast.
They agreed that the New York Rangers and Hurricanes are Eastern Conference contenders along with the Panthers, and specifically discussed how Tomas Hertl could impact the Las Vegas Golden Knights upon his return. . From injury.
Rosen and Roark also discussed the Golden Knights' ability to acquire Hertl and the NHL salary cap implications for the Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks, although Rosen and Roark also discussed the Golden Knights' ability to acquire Hertl and the implications for the NHL salary cap for the Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks, noting that the Sharks would earn 17 percent of Hertl's contract over the next six seasons. There was also a sense of disbelief in keeping it.
They also looked at the New Jersey Devils' goaltending situation, Friday's additions of Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkonen, and how it reset the depth at that position, adding Jacob Markstrom in the offseason. He also talked about whether he is ready to find a No. 1 goalie like him.
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