Florida Panthers 2019 Season Preview

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The Florida Panthers 2019 season kicks off October 3rd with high expectations. Will this be the year the Cats break through?

With all the talk of tanking consuming local sports media, the Florida Panthers quietly enter the 2019 season poised for a playoff run.

The Panthers could in fact be the most successful team in South Florida this year.

They look to build off a 2018 season which showed a lot of promise but spiraled in the wrong direction late.

A few major changes took place for the Panthers in the offseason, most notably the addition of three time Stanley Cup winning head coach Joel Quinneville.

Dale Tallon replaced Bob Boughner after two mediocre seasons which saw them miss the playoffs both years.

Quinneville obviously brings a proven track record of success to the organization which was much needed after the team plateaued under Boughner.

Swan Song for the Great Strombone

 

 

 

Injuries played a factor for Luongo and trying to rehab and get into shape for another season was not in the plans for the Great Strombone.

To fill the void in net the Panthers swung for the fences, signing two time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky to a 7-year deal in July.

Despite his success, Bobrovsky is still seeking his first Stanley Cup and is excited for the potential of his new team.

“It’s all about the Cup. That’s my main goal,” he said July 2. “That’s what I want to do, so that’s why I am here now. I believe in this team, I believe in this group, and I really think that we can do something special in here.” From NHL.com

Bobrovsky led the NHL with nine shutouts last year with Columbus and his 2.46 career goals-against-average (GAA) is a huge improvement over the 3.16 GAA the Panthers goalies put up last year. That mark ranked them 28th in the league, simply not good enough.

Where the Panthers really struggled last year was on the blue line, ranking 28th in the NHL with 273 goals allowed. Communication was a huge problem for the Cats defense last year, look for that area to improve under the structure of Quenneville.

Even an average defense should be enough for Florida to have a successful season due to an elite forward group led by superstar center Aleksander Barkov.

Casual fans may not recognize Barkov on the street, but he may be the best athlete in his respective sport locally.

Keep the Power on

One area of the team that should continue to be a bright spot is the power play, a unit that ranked second in the NHL with the man advantage last year.

Barkov led the Panthers with 96 points (35 goals, 61 assists) and his fellow forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Mike Hoffman also eclipsed 30 goals on the year. Florida ranked in the top ten in both total goals (264) and goals per game (3.22) and the main core on the front line returns in 2019.

These three top forwards along with Evgenii Davodov played in all 82 games last year, hopefully they can stay close to that level of health this season. Davodov had a breakout season in his second year back from the KHL with 28 goals and 42 assists.

It may take time for the power play unit to click with a new coaching system in place, but the continuity and chemistry in that group should make the transition much easier.

Frank Vatrano was another spark for the Florida offense and finished fifth on the team with 24 goals.

Defend at all Costs

On the flip side of the coin for the Panthers is their defensive group which struggled mightily last year. As mentioned the Panthers were quite generous to the opponent on defense, allowing odd man rushes and missing assignments in their own zone at an alarming rate.

Despite an elite power play that unit had their own warts, allowing 13 shorthanded goals which was tied for the second-worst mark league wide. They also converted only three short handed goals of their own, tied for worst in the NHL.

The penalty kill (81.3%) was a top 10 group however, so special teams is an area of the team that could carry them in stretches throughout the year.

NHL Ironman Keith Yandle returns along with Aaron Ekblad as the top defense pairing, Yandle was especially effective on the power play and led the Panthers with 32 assists with an extra attacker. Ekblad was consistent again with 37 points (13 goals, 24 assists) and has hit double digits in goals in each of his five seasons. He was also one of only four Panthers with a positive +/- for the year, Florida will need more players on the right side of that stat to make it anywhere this season.

With upgrades on the bench and in net the Panthers are in a great position to make a playoff push, perhaps even win a few series. They have to start fast, Florida lost eight out of their first ten games last year and could not overcome that early deficit.

The Panthers must also avoid multiple long losing streaks, they suffered both a seven-game and six-game slide in the second half which essentially put them out of the playoff picture.

Quenneville should be a steadying influence for a young and talented team, as a proven winner he should earn immediate respect from his team.

Follow us on Twitter for more Florida Panthers news @SportsWaveDave and @5ReasonsSports.

 

The national anti-Dolphins tank lobby has lost it

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If you’ve followed the @5ReasonsSports Twitter account — and if not, why the heck not — you know I haven’t been fully on board the tank.

Well, I like selling #tankovailoa shirts and tanktops (get yours here!) but I’m not sold on every move the Dolphins are making.

They needed a reset, for sure, and somewhat of a teardown. But they made it too obvious with what they did the week before the season, giving their team no chance to reasonably compete, and forgetting the human cost to players and others of stripping down the roster to this degree. I also don’t entirely trust them to rebuild this, even with three gazillion picks and gobs and gobs of cap space.

Now, though?

I’m being turned to the tank side.

Why?

Because, as per usual, the national media are jumping all over a South Florida team with ridiculous takes. Jake Mendel did a fine job explaining this phenomenon in this piece for our sister site: Dolphin Maven (SI).

And Josh Houtz explored the idiocy of the Competition Committee considering an investigation of the sort of personnel practices the Dolphins are using.

But it’s more than that.

The national sports media, which haven’t cared about Miami sports since Chris Foerster was snorting coke in his office, are all over this story.

And some have some idiotic opinions.

Here’s just one, the one that pushed me to the tank side, because I don’t want to share a viewpoint with this pundit. Make some space. What’s it Tua-ya?

 

If you are tired of mediocre Miami Dolphins coverage in the national media, stick with us. We have the best Miami Dolphins content in Five Reasons Sports. Don’t get caught in all the bulls**t out there. And by the way. Visit our shop. You’ll like what we have there. 

Taco Charlton

Miami Dolphins get help defensively with Taco Charlton

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In what has been a very busy day for the Miami Dolphins, they made moves on Thursday. According to multiple media reports, the Miami Dolphins claimed defensive end Taco Charlton. His deal is said to be two years in length.

Charlton was drafted in the first round with the 28th overall pick back in 2017. A member of the Dallas Cowboys from 2017-2019, he came into the National Football League with an impressive resume.  A former Michigan star, he was named to the All-Big Ten first team in 2016. His 2016 season was one for the books. He recorded 10 sacks and 13.5 tackles for a loss in 11 games.

In 27 career games, he has started seven of them. He has recorded 46 tackles and four sacks. Those are not eye-popping numbers, but this should help the Dolphins at least add stability at the position.

What can Taco Charlton bring to the Miami Dolphins?

Taco Charlton will be able to bring versatility to Miami. Especially on a two-year deal, he has everything to gain, and I think that will reflect in his performance on the field. With this deal totaling $2.5 million, this is a very low-risk, high-reward signing.

He will be able to bring a versatile presence to the Miami Dolphins defensive line. This is something that will fit today’s National Football League very well. The Dolphins need to have pass rushers that can bring pressure from all angles. Charlton can help fill that void. This Miami team ranks 26th in the entire National Football League with three sacks on the season. Although Charlton only recorded one sack on the season last year, his tackle numbers suggest that he can be the Swiss Army knife of sorts on that defense.

Depending on his performance over the next two seasons, I could see Charlton being a mainstay on the defense as the Miami Dolphins go through this rebuild. He would undoubtedly be a veteran on this roster. It will be interesting to see exactly how he fits into this defense and what type of impact he will make. He definitely has the potential to help the Dolphins, but he could also be just a holdover as the team tries to build their roster. We’ll have to see how it all unfolds.

Josh Rosen to start Sunday vs Dallas

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The time has finally come for Josh Rosen.

After spending the last several months clamoring for Josh Rosen to be the Dolphins’ starting QB, the time is now for ‘The Chosen One’.

Truth is, after a woeful start from the man known as ‘FitzMagic’, a change seemed imminent.  But as of Thursday morning, it seemed as though Fitzpatrick would remain Miami’s QB for at least one more week.  And then, everything changed.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Dolphins will start Rosen this Sunday vs the Cowboys.

The plan was always for the Dolphins to find out what they had in the 22-year old QB, sooner rather than later.  But no one expected him to get the start this early.

We will now see how Miami looks in Big D this Sunday with a young, promising QB at the helm.  This probably won’t do much to detract the #TankForTua crowd.  But if Rosen can string together a few wins, the future would look a light brighter than many expected.  After all, if Rosen is ‘the guy’, they could then use the $130+M and treasure chest of draft picks, to build everything around him.

In Josh Rosen We Trust.

Josh Houtz (@houtz) still supports Josh Rosen, even if it is #Tankovailoa SZN

Can the NFL Competition Committee stop #Tankovailoa?

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The Miami Dolphins are in every outlet of the country because of their obvious tanking. Can the NFL do anything about it?

Everyone that has watched the last several weeks in Davie, Florida, can see the long-term plan starting to unfold.

And whether that be the $130M+ they will have to spend in free agency, or the obscene amount of draft picks – it all starts with securing the NFL’s top QB prospect, Tua Tagovailoa.

That is, unless the NFL competition committee has something to say about it.

According to the Athletic’s Daniel Kaplan, the competition committee could take a look at the Dolphins plan to #TankForTua–much like they did with Cleveland several years ago.

“Five years ago, the league source said, the competition committee did debate the Cleveland Browns, which is best described as having pursued a mini version of the Dolphins’ strategy. The committee, the league source added, was responding to media questions and decided the NFL Draft structure served the league well.”

Kaplan then goes on to mention why the NFL competition committee could have a problem with teams trying to deliberately tank, such as the 2019 Dolphins.

“The committee will probably have the questions posed to it again, if not by the media, maybe by teams,” a league source said.

“It’s likely the competition committee will have to address this issue.” It’s not hard to see why the committee might be concerned. The fabric of the NFL is built on the “Any Given Sunday” ethos that infuses fans with the belief that any NFL team can beat another NFL team. It’s not baseball where each team has 162 sometimes meaningless games spread across regional sports channels or the NBA with 82 regular season games. NFL teams have only 16 games and they are all national, with an inordinate amount of pressure and hype for each contest.”

For the league to determine the Dolphins are deliberately trying to tank, they would need to bring in some of the top investigators in the country. Some names to consider include Scooby Doo and Mystery Inc., the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and of course, Inspector Gadget.  This is not a job for the faint of heart. 

In all seriousness, there’s probably very little that will come of this.  The Dolphins are on pace to be the worst team in NFL history.  Period.

Sure, maybe the ‘tank’ was never meant to be this bad.  But everything is going according to plan.  #Tankovailoa

David Silva and his magic will join Inter Miami

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The Spanish midfielder David Silva will play in Miami next year.

Miami announced Edinson Cavani as the first major name that will come to play for the new MLS franchise, and this is now getting very interesting.

But who’s David Silva? Some might ask…

Silva fits perfectly with the typical new MLS team.

A veteran with still a lot to give to soccer, after winning championships with Spain and in England with Manchester City.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6PgcAaMD-4

The David Silva Magic

Silva was once compared to Lionel Messi and is one of Pep Guardiola’s favorite players. That lefty magic that Spain always needed, since Messi couldn’t play with them.

Guardiola’s goodbye to David Silva

David Silva just plays better soccer than the others. That was the key for him to have such a great career in Europa, according to Pep Guardiola.

Now, it’s time for him to come shine to the United States.

The original news came from England, in an exclusive report by The Independent. A place that will remember him as a key piece to achieve championships.

Silva’s signing is great. Probably the best signing they could have, along with Cavani, unless somebody like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi come along next year.

Maybe in three or four.

But now, we have another important name for the roster.

We’re still missing a key factor, though. Who’s going to coach this team?

 

We will be following Inter Miami from the beginning of their route to a championship (maybe before Marlins and Dolphins, or even the Miami Heat, get close to it. Make sure to follow Bruno Gomez, Ricardo Montes de Oca, Leandro Soto and Alejandro Villegas in Cinco Razones. They’ll be the ones covering the team closely. 

Albert Wilson will not suit up Sunday for Miami Dolphins

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The Miami Dolphins will be missing two key players on Sunday, especially Albert Wilson.

The Dolphins chances against the Dallas Cowboys got much tougher with some news on Wednesday. According to multiple media reports, wide receiver Albert Wilson will likely miss his second game in a row.

He is doubtful according to the report, and Miami will certainly miss his offensive production. He hasn’t had a blazing start to this year. Catching two passes for 13 yards, those are certainly numbers that can be improved upon. The injuries he suffered haven’t helped of course. Suffering a calf injury against the New England Patriots, it seems like the injuries keep mounting for him.

Although he had much better numbers last season, he missed nine games with a hip injury. For the year, Wilson finished with 26 catches for 391 yards and four touchdowns in 2018.

Jones out for Miami Dolphins as well

Reshad Jones is also expected to miss Sunday’s game. This is unfortunate as well. I thought he was going to have a big role once the Dolphins traded away Minkah Fitzpatrick. He sat out Wednesday’s practice with an ankle injury.

In a season that is already extremely challenging, these two injuries are not what the Dolphins needed. As the team looks to try and make the best of what is a rebuilding year, these veterans could have certainly helped on Sunday. These injuries do not sound season-ending, so that is a good thing. I would figure Wilson to be a big part of the passing game moving forward as Miami looks to make the most of this season.

Jones should figure to be a big part of the defense, and I would still expect him to play a role in it. These two are undoubtedly going to have their stock rise this season if they perform well. Hopefully, this is just a short stay on the sidelines rather than a permanent one.

Charles Harris

Will the Dolphins claim Taco Charlton off waivers?

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Can Taco Charlton help at all this season?

Heading into the 2019 season, the Miami Dolphins had several glaring weaknesses. And aside from the warts we continue to see each and every day in South Florida, pass-rusher remains at the top of the list.  Truth is, Miami has all the money and draft capital in the world, but that can’t be used until the league year strikes 2020.  So for now, they must continue to bring in low-risk, high-reward signings in hopes of building a young nucleus.  Which leads us to the 28th-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Taco Charlton.

Charlton, 24, was recently released by the Dallas Cowboys after he took to social media to voice his displeasure with his role in Big D.  He believes he deserves a bigger role elsewhere, and Miami might be the perfect destination.

The age old saying ‘One man’s trash, is another man’s treasure’ applies to the situation.  After all, Charlton amassed 46 (18 solo) tackles and 4 sacks in his two seasons with the Cowboys.  Ironically enough, Charles Harris has 43 (18 solo) and 3 sacks in two years.  Harris was drafted six picks before Taco.

The question isn’t whether or not the Dolphins should use a waiver claim on Taco Charlton, because they should.  But will they have the opportunity to claim him before one of the other 12 teams with a hire waiver claim.

As I learned earlier today, the waiver order is currently based off of last year’s draft order.  Though this will change after the end of Week 3.

Brian Flores could turn Taco into a superstar.  I believe that.

And it can’t hurt that he graduated from the University of Michigan, Ross’ one true love.

Charlton is a player with very good physical attributes, who can be a valuable speed-rusher off the EDGE.

Miami missed out on Clowney.  The same may have been true regarding Trey Flowers.  Nevertheless, Charlton could be an asset on a team with very little hope for the future.  And if not, they cut ties with the 24-year old DE, who is set to make under $4M over the next two seasons.

Miami needs a pass-rusher and Taco needs a new home.

 “Yo Quiero, Taco Charlton”

Could Kenyan Drake be the next player traded?

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Kenyan Drake is probably the next one going out.

Having an updated roster by your side on Sundays is becoming more of a necessity as the Dolphins continue to trade off players.

After Sunday’s blowout loss to New England, the Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers exchanged late-round picks in a trade that sent Minkah Fitzpatrick to Pittsburgh for a 2020 first-round pick.

As of today, only Reshad Jones, Xavien Howard, Bobby McCain, DeVante Parker and Kenyan Drake have spent more than three years in Miami. While the Dolphins continue to stockpile draft picks, could one of these guys be the next to be out in Miami?

However, there are conflicting reports to the rumors.

All seems quiet on the trade front, but if the 2019 Miami Dolphins have shown us anything, every player can be traded. Especially if offered the right price.

Through two games, Drake has 10 carries for 31 yards and seven receptions for 44 yards. Keep in mind, those numbers tell us more about Miami’s talent on offense. Drake has offered the Miami
Dolphins a big-play threat since being drafted in the third round of the 2016 draft.

While runningbacks are undervalued in today’s NFL, keeping (and extending) Kenyan Drake gives the Dolphins a consistent threat on a generally inexperienced team for years to come. If traded, the Dolphins would ride out the season with Kalen Ballage, Mark Walton and rookie Myles Gaskin carrying the rock.

Should the Miami Dolphins make a move for Jalen Ramsey?

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Jalen Ramsey could be an option for the Miami Dolphins.

The Miami Dolphins aren’t the only team who has disgruntled super stars.

During Jacksonville’s 13-12 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday, fiery cornerback Jalen Ramsey found himself in a heated exchange with his head coach, Doug Marrone.

In the aftermath of the exchange, the former first-round pick has requested a trade from the Jaguars.

It seems like the bridge has been burned in Jacksonville. The Jaguars would like two first-round picks for the 2017 first-team All-Pro.

The Miami Dolphins are on track to be the worst team in NFL history. However, they are loaded with draft capital for both the 2020 and 2021 drafts.

His impact won’t be seen in 2019, but should the Dolphins trade for Ramsey to pair with Xavien Howard in Miami’s secondary?

Ramsey is under contract through 2020, meaning he could re-up with the Dolphins after a trade.

Miami is scheduled to have $122 million in cap space next season.  General Manager Chris Grier said yesterday that the team plans to be aggressive in the 2020 off season.

Keep in mind, aggressiveness isn’t limited to signing unrestricted free agents. The Dolphins could find themselves in the running to make a move for some disgruntled superstars and Jalen Ramsey fits the bill.

If Jalen Ramsey remains in Jacksonville through the regular season, the Dolphins could make a move for the cornerback. If price starts to drop and we discover the value of Miami’s picks, the Dolphins should be aggressive in trading for a talent like Ramsey.