How the Florida Miracle Was Built – Three Game Moves That Will Astonish

Bill Zito has hit his moves with incredible accuracy.

The key figures in the Florida Panthers dynasty are skipper Aleksander Barkov and head coach Paul Maurice.

Behind them, perhaps a little hidden, lurks Bill Zito, the general manager who has largely built the current team, which is striving for its third consecutive Stanley Cup final series.

Zito, 60, took over as Panthers manager in the summer of 2020. At that time, the current team included Barkov, Eetu Luostarinen, Aaron Ekblad and Sergei Bobrovski.

At the end of his first season, Zito made two significant acquisitions that, in light of the current situation, seem downright genius: Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart.

For Bennett, the Panthers gave Emil Heineman and a second-round pick, and for Reinhart, the rights to Devon Levi and a first-round pick. In other words: Zito got valuable top-end pieces for half a free.

The entire NHL world was shocked three summers ago when Zito signed Matthew Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames. The Panthers gave up Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar, as well as a first-round pick.

Tkachuk was already known as an effective and versatile weapon at the time, but many considered him crazy. Huberdeau had scored 115 points the season before the move, and Weegar was a top-pairing player in his prime.

In light of this moment, the trade looks like the work of a true genius, despite its high price. In addition to his rink-building skills, Tkachuk has also proven to be a perfect fit for the Panthers and a great adjutant for Barkov.

“All glory”

Zito gives credit to the scouting department’s observations and analysis of potential recruits in an interview with NBC.

– It’s not always about the most expensive or the least expensive. It’s about the best fit, he comments.

– Our guys have done a great job identifying players who could be a good fit, but also coming up with a price we could consider making a purchase at.

Gustav Forsling, the team’s most important defenseman, was picked up by Zito from the waivers list. The core players of the current team, Niko Mikkola and Carter Verhaeghe, were found on the free agent market for very modest dollar amounts.

At this spring’s trade deadline, Zito snapped up Brad Marchand, the Boston Bruins skipper who was considered too slow and old. After five Finals games, Marchand is the most likely candidate for the Conn Smythe, along with Bennett.

– According to conventional wisdom, reaching two consecutive Stanley Cup Finals is difficult, let alone three, playing legend Mark Messier reminded NBC in late May.

– I have to give all the credit to Zito, Maurice, the coaching staff and the scouting department. They consistently manage to replace lost players with new pieces that seem to fit seamlessly into their culture and style of play.

The Panthers were created specifically through successful trades and free agent acquisitions, not draft picks, as several valuable draft picks have been lost in trades. During the Zito era, the Panthers have only drafted in the first round twice: Anton Lundell in the summer of 2020, and Mackie Samoskevich in the summer of 2021.

Lundell has become a core member of the team, the leader of a top-quality third line, who despite his young age plays with the confidence of a veteran and also scores from the toughest positions.

Paul Maurice

Zito also made the right choice in his coaching. Maurice is the most respected and brightest coach in the NHL right now, but the situation was completely different in the summer of 2022.

The previous winter, Maurice had unexpectedly resigned from the Winnipeg Jets. He had played a lot of games and played for several clubs, but not much success.

Did anyone expect Maurice to become a champion coach? Maybe not many – but now he’s reaching for his second consecutive Stanley Cup.

Ex-secret agent

Zito is a former player agent and founder-owner of an agency. Prior to his time with the Panthers, he worked extensively in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization.

Zito’s modest playing career includes a surprising appearance in Finland. He played in the third division for Salo Pallo in the late 1980s.

– I’m a damn good shooter, although not a very good skater, Zito described Salon to Seudun Sanomat.

According to SSS, Zito scored six points that night at the expense of local opponent Hoki – but suddenly disappeared the following fall after his funeral trip.

SSS journalist Tuomas Reinikainen writes: “In the fall of 1988, Zito had asked the team’s head coach Juhani Wahlsten for permission to attend his aunt’s funeral in France. This was apparently a white lie. Before leaving, Zito had gone to check out three pairs of hockey underwear from a sports store in Salo.”

SalPa is listed as Zito’s last club in his playing career in the Elite Prospects database. Before his time with Salo, he played three NCAA seasons with Yale University with modest results.