To say the Florida Panthers struggled defensively last season would be a mere understatement. The Cats established a franchise record for most goals allowed in a single season. This was primarily because of below average defense and inconsistent goaltending.
The Panthers can easily rectify their defensive woes by simply acquiring a proven, top-four defenseman either through free agency or trade.
The Cats will likely pursue the expensive Russians in Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. This essentially implies that Florida will most likely gauge the trade market for a quality defenseman.
A player who would make the most sense for the Florida Panthers would be three-time Stanley Cup winning defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson.