The 2017-18 season was a strange one for the Florida Panthers, they missed the playoffs for the second straight year — but in doing so, matched an NHL mark for most points by a team that didn’t qualify for the postseason (96, tied with the 2014-15 Bruins).
Their offseason moves have been interesting thus far, to say the least.
Just before the NHL draft, the Panthers picked up forward Mike Hoffman from San Jose (hours after the Sharks acquired him from Ottawa), which should bolster their offense and perhaps their drama. Hoffman, 28, has scored 20 or more goals in each of the last four seasons, including 22 in 2017-18, when he appeared in all 82 games and scored 56 points for Ottawa.