Florida Panthers

DENVER - This spring, John Elway held court with the NFL draft, Joe Sakic was given the stage with the Avs, and Walt Weiss lifted the Rockies near the top of the NL West.

LOS ANGELES-Matt Greene's return has increased the Kings' physicality and lifted their collective mood, and there's no saying which is more vital to a team that has clawed its way into position to clinch its second straight tense, punishing playoff series on Sunday.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.-The Stanley Cup had visited Utah before, but not when the marching band was making it vibrate.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - The Los Angeles Kings' penalty-killing philosophy doesn't change at home, but the results certainly do.

Boston or the New York Rangers? To be honest, Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson doesn't think it matters who the Pittsburgh Penguins face in the Eastern Conference finals.

Mike Babcock has done much to goad the Red Wings to the verge of exterminating the best team in hockey's regular season, to jam well-timed adrenaline needles into his club. Cheerleading is not one of those things.

Brent Seabrook stood in front of his dressing-room stall and answered every question thrown his way - except the one about his reduced playing time.

The day after being pushed to the brink of elimination, the Blackhawks met to discuss their predicament.

James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports Yesterday on our Offseason Primer, we took a look at the upcoming NHL Draft and the possible players we might see the Panthers select. Today we will take a look at some of the young players in the system who could make an impact next season for the Florida Panthers. We already have gotten a good look at some of Florida’s most exciting talent. Players like Jonathan Huberdeau, Erik Gudbranson and Jacob Markstrom will continue to be key pieces in the Panthers’ plans as we shift our focus to the 2013-14 campaign. The Panthers’ talent pool however does not end with these three. Over their years of futility, Florida has stocked up on young and exciting talent. We are beginning to see the result of all those player acquisitions as many of the young players Florida has acquired over the years are looking primed to break into the NHL sooner rather than later. Here is a quick look at four Panther prospects with the best chance to make an impact at the NHL level next season: Nick Bjugstad Nick Bjugstad is a player that most Panther fans are already familiar with as he signed with the Panthers at the conclusion of his collegiate season with the University of Minnesota and was able to appear in 11 NHL games. In those games Bjugstad managed only one goal and a -8 rating while averaging 15:12 per game. It was clear that Bjugstad had some trouble adjusting to the NHL game and he was the first to admit that it is going to take some time to settle in. The good news is, by getting those 11 games in at the end of the 2013 season, Bjugstad will be that much further along in his development and will be more comfortable going into the 2013-14 season than he would if he had not yet played a single NHL game. I expect Bjugstad to experience some growing pains next season but I would be surprised if he is not, at the very least, an above average third line center by the end of the year. Long term, Bjugstad should develop into a top-six offensive scoring threat but for now I think the Panthers would be ecstatic to get anywhere from 10 to 20 goals out of their young center. Quinton Howden Apr 25, 2013; Sunrise, FL, USA; Florida Panthers right wing George Parros (22) collides with teammate center Quinton Howden (42) after a check from Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Fraser (45) in the second period at the BB Quinton Howden was another Panther to receive an extended look at the end of the 2013 season. In 18 games, Howden failed to record a point and had a -11 rating while averaging 10:27 per game. While the numbers obviously were not there, it was clear, from watching Howden, that the winger made significant strides as his time with the Panthers progressed. At 6’3″ Howden has a tantalizing combination of size and speed. While he was mostly deployed on the Panthers’ fourth line, the 21 year old displayed a level of skill that is indicative of immense scoring potential further on down the road. Howden played most of last season with Florida’s AHL affiliate the San Antonio Rampage and in 57 games he tallied 30 points on 13 goals and 17 assists. Depending on the moves the Panthers make in the offseason, Howden could possibly start the year in the NHL. If he fails to make the team out of training camp, I would expect him to be one of the first players called up as an injury fill in. While Howden will certainly have his fair share of struggles as he adjusts to the NHL game, I think we will see him make an impact and I think 10 goals or so next year is not too much to expect from this talented forward. Alex Petrovic The 21 year old defender made his NHL debut last season and in his six games played, he made an exciting case for why he deserves to be a featured Panther blue-liner for years to come. While he did not record a point, Petrovic did average 18:46 per game and saw some time in power play and shorthandedsituations. Apr 21, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Daniel Pai

Several years ago the NHL started handing out an award for leadership and they aptly named it after Mark Messier, who was undoubtedly one of the greatest captains his sport has ever seen.