by Hal SpivackFiled under: Panthers
In hopes of ending a nine-season playoff drought, the Florida Panthers have brought in championship blood. The team named Dale Tallon general manager of the club this May. Tallon served as the senior advisor to the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks last year, and helped build the 2009-10 title team during his days as general manager in Chicago -- a post he previously held.Tallon's task to rebuild the Panthers won't be an easy one. But the 59-year-old Quebec native has already made substantial moves this summer that should spark an offense that finished third worst in goal scoring. While the Panthers will have an uphill battle to make the playoffs, the future seems bright as Tallon has stockpiled the team with young talent through draft picks and acquisitions.
One situation Tallon will not have to fix immediately is in goal. Even with a shoddy defense last year, goaltender Tomas Vokoun (right) finished the season tied for third in the NHL with seven shutouts and an outstanding save percentage of .925. Vokoun mostly did it by himself, not helped on the offensive nor defensive side for much of the year.
Vokoun has been solid in net when he has had complementary pieces around him. He defeated a stacked Russian team at this year's World Championships to claim the gold medal for the Czech Republic. The only chance Vokoun does not end up in Florida by season's end is if the team trades him while out of playoff contention and takes a chance on highly-touted prospect Jacob Markstrom.
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