The Florida Panthers … (Jonathan Marchessault) are trying … (Reilly Smith) to focus … (Gerard Gallant) on next month’s NHL Draft and the subsequent start of free agency 2018.
But, for fans at least, it has become increasingly difficult to ignore what the first-year expansion Vegas Golden Knights have accomplished with the Panthers’ former coach (Gallant) and two of their players (Marchessault and Smith) from the 2016-2017 roster.
The Panthers fired Gallant, allowed Marchessault to leave in the expansion draft and got just a fourth-round pick in return for Smith.
Marchessault and Smith — both 27 years old — combined to score 49 goals in the regular season and are Vegas’ top two playoff points-getters during their current run to the Stanley Cup Finals.