Brian Boyle is the kind of depth participant the Florida Panthers want proper now

Information
The monster heart involves Florida on a one-year deal for an affordable worth, however the payoff could possibly be massive. Boyle has the post-season expertise the Panthers crave, plus he can fill in a whole lot of particulars within the lineup.Brian Boyle|John Russell/NHLI through Getty Photos)The Florida Panthers had an enormous summer time that addressed a number of essential wants: Sergei Bobrovsky was the marquee addition in internet, Anton Stralman introduced expertise on the blueline and a few guys with sandpaper (Noel Acciari) and expertise (Brett Connolly) joined the bottom-six forwards.
However GM Dale Tallon didn’t cease working as soon as the season started and due to that, the Panthers have a brand new addition in towering heart Brian Boyle. The veteran is available in throughout the twilight of his profession, however with a really spectacular resume that means an ideal slot in Florida.
For years now, the Panthers have been trying to find success. Making the playoffs has been a chore and even when Florida did make it in, they discovered no success. In 2016, they have been overwhelmed by a New York Islanders group that basically selected the Panthers as an opponent. The one season Florida really received a sequence was again in 1996 when the ‘Rat Trick’ Panthers went all the best way to the Stanley Cup closing.
Boyle first performed within the NHL post-season in 2011 as a member of the New York Rangers and since then, he has received extra playoff sequence in his profession than the Panthers have as a franchise – and it isn’t even shut. Boyle made the Cup closing with the Rangers in 2014 and the Lightning one 12 months later. Tally up all his expertise and he has 11 playoff sequence wins to Florida’s three. Which is a backhanded approach of claiming he’s excellent for the Panthers proper now. Boyle is available in on a one-year contract value $940,000, so the danger is minimal. For a group that has struggled defensively by means of the primary few weeks of the season, Boyle might help staunch the bleeding along with his 6-foot-6, 245-pound body and attain. Whereas Florida’s penalty-killing has been superb within the early goings (clicking at 86.four %, good for seventh within the league), bringing in Boyle will solely solidify that unit additional.
General, Florida is in a good place thus far. True, the Panthers usually are not technically in a playoff spot, however there have been so few video games performed that it’s actually solely essential that they’re within the combine. Consider, one of many issues that has doomed the Cats in earlier campaigns is unhealthy begins; at the least they’re so-so in 2019-20.
I just like the Boyle signing as a result of it has nothing to do with proper now and extra to do with the place the Panthers wish to be in 5 months: within the thick of a playoff race. Really, scratch that: not simply the thick of a race, however really within the playoffs. Whereas Boyle hasn’t received a playoff sequence in a few years, his companies have been in excessive demand, touchdown him in Toronto, New Jersey and Nashville for post-season adventures.
On paper, Florida has the expertise to be a playoff group due to names like Bobrovsky, Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Aaron Ekblad and Keith Yandle, however it received’t be straightforward within the Atlantic Division. On prime of his on-ice skills, Boyle is extensively identified to be an important man within the room and for a bunch that doesn’t have a lot crunch-time expertise – even Bobrovsky was comparatively new to playoff hockey earlier than final season – the large veteran pivot generally is a calming presence.
Tallon is aware of find out how to construct a winner and he has a coach in Joel Quenneville who is aware of find out how to win titles. Boyle could not have received a championship but, however he’s been shut a pair occasions and is aware of what it takes to go deep. That’s what the Panthers want and having Boyle round for the entire season as a substitute of simply the final 20 video games could possibly be the tonic they want.
Need extra in-depth options, evaluation and an All-Entry go to the most recent content material? Subscribe to The Hockey Information journal.
Tags: florida panthers, tampa bay lightning, big apple rangers, stanley cup playoffsConnect: Concerning the AuthorRyan KennedyRyan Kennedy is the affiliate senior author and draft/prospect professional at The Hockey Information. He has been with the publication since 2005 and in that span, Don Cherry, Lil Jon and The Rock have all known as his home. He lives in Toronto along with his spouse and youngsters the place he listens to loud music and collects NCAA pennants.