Florida Panthers

Patience -- what else? -- is the buzzword for a team lacking experience and recent success

By Andrea Woo

Team Page | Predicted Finish: 27

General manager Rick Dudley isn't promising any miraculous turnarounds or Cinderella runs to the Stanley Cup. Instead, he's preaching patience. The Panthers were the youngest team in the league last year, and while the kiddie corps should help Florida better its 2002-03 record of 24-36-13-9, greater accomplishments will take some time.

Olli Jokinen Fred Chartrand/AP SI RANKING (1 best - 30 worst) OFFENSE 22 DEFENSE 28 GOALTENDING 7 POWER PLAY 30 PENALTY KILLING 29 G.M. AND COACH 28

"We have a lot of talent," says Dudley. "Right now, do you worry about it a little bit because some of the key components are young? Of course you do. But one thing I've learned -- something I didn't used to have -- is patience. Being impatient almost never works out."

Impatience is to be expected for a team that has missed the playoffs five of the last six seasons. But Dudley, whose relationship with coach Mike Keenan is the best it's been since Dudley was hired in 2002, is certain he has the right players for the job. Last season center Olli Jokinen had career highs in goals (36), assists (29) and points (65), and made his first All-Star Game. This year Florida will be counting on its '01 and '02 first-round picks, 20-year-old center Stephen Weiss (21 points last season) and 20-year-old defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. Both played significant minutes last year and should only improve.

Because defense was its weak spot (the Panthers allowed a league-high 33.2 shots a game), Florida added veterans Todd Gill and Lyle Odelein to its blue line this summer. Gill and Odelein, both stay-at-home defensemen, have a combined 31 years of NHL experience. Their presence will help young players such as Bouwmeester, who had a -29 rating last year. "In training camp I've noticed a big difference," says goalie Roberto Luongo. "Every time we play with a veteran defenseman on my team, it just seems much easier to do my job. Hopefully that's a sign of things to come."

Dudley believes that the Panthers are headed in the right direction. "I know [fans and media] have heard this before," he says, "but we are building toward something special."

Insider

How good is G Roberto Luongo? He can steal 10 to 15 points in the standings by himself. ... The young forwards should continue to flourish under coach Mike Keenan, who encourages them to be creative in the offensive zone. ... One forward whose progress stalled last season was Kristian Huselius: He was pushed hard by Keenan and didn't react well. Huselius should look at Olli Jokinen, who took the coach's challenges to heart and went from underachiever to big-time scorer.

Issue date: October 13, 2003