To kill some time before the regular season gets underway, TSN.ca has begun ranking all 30 NHL teams in reverse order. Thanks to starting with the worst, the Panthers were quick to come up on the countdown, locking in at 27th, which nearly 29% of the voting population considers too generous.

Why it’s all gobbledygook…

- TSN.ca, although a very reputable website, does originate in Canada. They know their hockey very well, but tend to negatively bias against Southern hockey markets.

- The article states that Dale Tallon is entering his 2nd season as GM. Actually, he was just hired this summer. Mistakes aside…

- Enhancing the misery of the Panthers by comparing us negatively to our cross-state rivals. Every year the Lightning are picked to break out, and they never do.

- Implying that not signing Tomas Vokoun to an extension during the season could cause “unwanted distraction.” The Savior is on his way, and everybody can read the writing on the wall. Vokoun is a great guy, but everybody knows he isn’t in the future plans.

- A quick glance at last year’s prediction shows that Phoenix, last year’s 4th seed in the Western Conference, was picked to finish dead last in the NHL.

- Second to last? Colorado - who also reached the playoffs.

- 23rd and 24th made the post season relatively comfortably, while 18th through 20th all enjoyed playing more than the 82 regular season games.

- Actual last place Edmonton? They were picked 16th. In fact, TSN incorrectly predicted half of the Western Conference playoff picture. Batting .500 may be good in baseball, but not in pre-season predictions.

- The comments on the article about South Florida not deserving a team are beyond annoying at this point. We have a team, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan don’t, and that is that. Our fan base is more dedicated than you think – how many fans would you have if you hadn’t reached the playoffs in 10 years? That just shows how passionate our fans are.

To wrap it up, this isn’t meant to destroy TSN or infer that it is a bad website. I think it is a great website, and will still use them for information and hockey news.

But I will protect my turf when it is invaded.

Check out TSN.ca’s Panthers breakdown here.

It is no secret that the Florida Panthers are rebuilding, again. This youth movement needs to pay off, much more so than the last one. Attitude will be important – and a few young Panthers are off to a great start in that regard.

“When I went to the draft I was extremely excited to have the opportunity to potentially go to the Florida Panthers,” Erik Gudbranson told nhl.com. “That’s where I wanted to go. I had an interview with them the day before the draft and told them you’re my team.”

While Gudbranson is hoping to bring a much needed mean streak to the Panthers blue line, Jacob Markstrom is looked upon as the future in goal. His attitude showed some fire too.

“Every day I want to go there and I want to practice hard and I want to be between the pipes instead of Vokoun,” Markstrom told nhl.com.

While it may be unrealistic to expect Markstrom to bump out All-Star goaltender Tomas Vokoun, he is a big part of the future of this team, and could be starting games as early as next season.

Read the rest of the article concerning the Panthers youth at: http://panthers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=536851

In other news, the Panthers have 72 games on television this year – all in HD. For a more in-depth look at the TV coverage, check out: http://panthers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=536792

Sophomore Dmitry Kulikov goes from 43, an odd number for a defenseman, to number 7.

Shawn Matthias switches from 41 to 18, Kenndal McArdle claims number 15, and Keaton Ellerby, assuming he makes the big club, will take the dreaded number four. Ellerby will be the third defenseman in as many seasons to wear number four, following former Panther Dennis Seidenberg and the one who shan’t be mentioned (although he will be tagged in case it’s that much of a mystery).

The story and the rest of the new Cats’ numbers can be found at this source: http://panthers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=536713

He says he wants to start and he wants to play in the NHL. He has all the confidence in the world, but we’ll have to see if he can outplay Tomas Vokoun in training camp.

The future is as bright as the hot Florida sun, but it remains to be seen how long it takes to come to fruition.

Most Sabres and Devils fans credit him with being a great guy and locker room presence. Perhaps, this is Dale Tallon’s way of mentoring the young guns to have them ready to compete in a couple of years.

The future is looking bright, and hopefully the Panthers can compete sooner than later.

This is an interesting possibility. It would certainly make a Tomas Vokoun trade more likely. One has to wonder if Niemi was a product of being on a great team, or if he really has what it takes to lead a team. He would be forced to help carry a Panthers team that is not known for giving their goaltenders great support.

Nonetheless, whenever you have a chance to acquire last year’s Stanley Cup champion goaltender, it is always exciting.

It’s a bit of an unusual feeling. For as bad as the Panthers have been over the years, they aren’t generally a predicted lock for last. Perhaps that’s why they toiled in mediocrity for so long, without getting elite players or taking the next step.

The rebuild seems to be going in the right direction, but I don’t want to come to the BankAtlantic Center every night this year expecting to lose. On paper, without a doubt, Florida has a bad team comparatively to the rest of the league. They look worse than last year’s abomination. However, I wonder how a team full of players who will give it their all each shift will respond this season. Most of the minor moves we’ve made have come with fans noting how hard working and passionate the player is. I like the sound of a team that plays together.

The bottom line is, the Panthers will probably be towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference this season, but I’m still not ready to throw in the towel.

That’s why they’re just predictions.

Dale Tallon was known for getting players who blossomed into big talent in Chicago, in guys like Kris Versteeg and Patrick Sharp. Florida hopes that this may be another case in this circumstance.

Florida is creating a lot of competition on the roster, something that has lacked in previous seasons. Hopefully, this will give the players more incentive to play hard, with players breathing down their necks for a chance to play.

Today, Florida announced that its new ECHL affiliate will be the Cincinnati Cyclones, completing the transition away from the Florida Everblades. The Cyclones were coached by new Rochester coach Chuck Weber.

Neither move is expected to impact the Panthers line up, although Callahan could provide some depth if the injury bug bites hard.

Rochester fans are unhappy with the move of dumping a forward that put up good numbers. Most consider it a slap in the face and a salary dump. This is certainly adding fuel to the fire that Florida and Rochester will go their separate ways after this season.