Panthers Rumors: Florida Trade Could Involve RHD

The Florida Panthers are one of the best teams in the NHL, sitting with a 27-12-2 record, despite missing the likes of Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour for a big chunk of the season. By having both RHD out to start the season, it gave GM Bill Zito a chance to see what else he has on defense and it turns out, more depth is needed.

According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, expect to see the Panthers try to acquire a depth right-handed shooting defenseman before the March 8 trade deadline. Zito loves to be active ahead of deadlines and will certainly be adding to the roster. Here's what Seravalli had to say about what to expect out of the sunshine state:

Take a peek at the Panthers’ roster and tell me where you see a hole? It certainly isn’t at forward, where the Cats have mauled the opposition this season. It’s not in net, where Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz are holding their own, with Spencer Knight waiting in the AHL. Their defense was tremendous without Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour, and now they’re both back, leaving everyone comfortably slotted. Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been an unreal addition. Perhaps the only area to nitpick would be to find a replacement for Dmitry Kulikov, who has been fine, but is prone to the big mistake. This roster seems ready to compete for the Cup again as is.

As Seravalli points out, the Panthers are ready for another long playoff run and are certainly a team to look out for when it comes to legitimate Cup contenders. They're currently projected to have just under $6 million available in salary cap space and expect to see Zito dangle some future considerations to get some immediate help. If the Panthers land any of the big names that are available, or perhaps a Chris Tanev out of Calgary, look out, they're going to be tough to beat this Spring.

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