Heading into the 2019-20 season, the Florida Panthers cannot start with a Yandle–Ekblad pairing. The two must be driving play on their own respective pairings.
With that being the case, the Panthers essentially need two, top-four pairing defensemen who can step into the lineup immediately and make a sudden impact. Draft picks and/or overseas signings won’t do the trick in this situation.
There are two routes the Cats can go to address their top four concerns at the back: 1). scope out the UFA market and see if you can bring in an experienced defenseman who can play alongside Aaron Ekblad (ex.