Florida Hockey

Think of all the former Panthers from the past eight years who went on to find success elsewhere.

Dan Boyle. Niklas Hagman. Bret Hedican. Kristian Huselius. Roberto Luongo. Rob Niedermayer. Vaclav Prospal. Mikael Samuelsson. Ray Whitney.

The list includes 20-plus goal scorers, all-stars, Olympians and Stanley Cup champions. A few of the players listed had success with the Panthers, but a number saw their careers rejuvenated by moving away from South Florida. It makes you cringe, doesn't it?

Perhaps, for once, it will be the Panthers who are reaping the benefits of a player changing his surroundings.

Bryan McCabe

While Toronto fans and media would have us thinking Bryan McCabe is not even worthy of being on an NHL roster, the defenseman is not washed up. He is two years removed from posting a career-high 68 points and being a member of the Canadian Olympic team.

McCabe became a whipping boy in Toronto in large part because of the Maple Leafs' failures as a whole. Then-GM John Ferguson, Jr. mismanaged his roster by following a pre-lockout mindset, signing players to inflated contracts and further handcuffing the team with several no-trade clauses. With McCabe hampered by injuries and committing gaffes in games he did play, fans targeted the high-priced defenseman as the Leafs floundered.

The ire toward McCabe is still visible in Toronto. Fans insist they ended up with the better end of this trade—even though they had to give up a draft pick to seal the deal and received a player whose career could be over with one more wrist injury.

This is a great move for the Panthers. They have shored up a defense that let opponents pepper poor Tomas Vokoun with a league-high 2,213 shots.

McCabe plays a physical game and he gives the Panthers an offensive threat at the point. And do not forget, McCabe, who had to waive his no-trade clause for the trade to occur, wants to be in Florida's locker room. It is a positive message for a Panthers roster that is often told through media commentaries their NHL colleagues don't want to play in South Florida.

In the three years prior to the lockout, McCabe played in front of Ed Belfour, Trevor Kidd and Curtis Joseph—goaltenders past their prime. Aside from Tomas Kaberle, Toronto fielded an average to above average defensive corps.

With the exception of 2002-03, McCabe posted an average total goal differential of 36, showing he had a significant impact on Toronto's offense without neglecting his own end. McCabe's goal differential dropped significantly over the past two seasons which mirrored Toronto's decline as a whole.

Florida's defense for the upcoming season is at least on par with Toronto's pre-lockout squads. The Panthers' goaltending is above average. Off the ice, McCabe won't have to deal with 24/7 scrutiny from fans or the media.

At the very least, McCabe will have the environment he needs to rebound from a miserable season.