The Florida Panthers are now poised to ice the most offensively productive defense in the NHL next season. Last summer, the Panthers, with Tom Rowe at the forefront, made some serious waves through the league with a substantial overhaul on defense: Seeing the departures of Dmitry Kulikov and Erik Gudbranson.
While Jared McCann’s effectiveness at the NHL-level remains to be seen (considering he, plus a draft pick, cost the team a future captain), Mark Pysyk proved to be a strong return for an unproductive and over-valued Kulikov.
The value placed on Psysk’s reliability has been no secret in the organization.