Panthers stun everyone with quiet trade deadline strategy

The rumors were flying around Sunrise all week regarding the future of this veteran-heavy roster. General manager Bill Zito ultimately decided to stand pat instead of tearing the locker room apart.

The Panthers had a rough 2-6-1 stretch coming out of the Olympic break. Their playoff hopes thinned out quickly, pushing them right into the seller category.

They did not really sell off the core pieces, opting for a much quieter approach down the stretch. Management wants to retain the current group.

The only player Florida moved was veteran defenseman Jeff Petry, ending his brief time on the blue line. Zito wanted to give him a shot at a ring.

Petry now heads to the Minnesota Wild for a chance at hoisting a Stanley Cup. He leaves after logging significant minutes on the second pairing this winter.

Zito thanked the veteran for being a great teammate and a reliable presence during his 45 games played this year.

The biggest storyline was the relentless noise surrounding Bobrovsky and his hefty $10 million cap hit. A trade was never truly close to happening.

Maurice noted that someone in Canada decided the veteran netminder would be a good target. That made the rumors blow up for two straight weeks across the league.

The front office fielded calls but never found a package that made sense for their timeline. Zito even joked about rival executives asking for Hall of Famer Roberto Luongo.

Florida also held onto pending free agent A.J. Greer, choosing to retain his physicality and 125 hits for the remainder of the schedule.

The front office wants both players back next season, completely avoiding a full-scale rummage sale. They are looking at the big picture.

This season is basically a blip on the radar and a quick reset for a battered lineup. The focus is entirely on October.

Next season brings a healthy core of Sasha Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and Brad Marchand ready to push for 100 points again.

They will easily be one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference when the puck drops on a new campaign.