The Florida Panthers have won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.
What will it take to three-peat? It could take a big trade before the NHL's March deadline.
The Athletic's Chris Johnston makes the case in a new article for what he calls a "home run swing" of a deal.
He wants the Panthers to go after Justin Faulk, the defenseman from the St. Louis Blues whose cap hit this season is $6.5 million.
"The Panthers will be looking to upgrade the right side of their blue line, where Jeff Petry is currently logging minutes on the third pairing behind Seth Jones and Aaron Ekblad," Johnston writes. "Chasing Faulk would represent a home-run swing rather than a mere upgrade, and who could be more incentivized to go big than the Panthers?"
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Faulk is 33 years old and has long proven himself as a reliable player on the blue line.
"Florida GM Bill Zito has never shied away from an aggressive move, and he’ll be trying to arm his team with the horses needed to win a third straight Stanley Cup," Johnston writes. "Faulk looks like he’s got plenty of gas left in the tank, and he’s never been particularly close to a championship during a 1,000-game career. He’d bring some hunger with him to South Florida."
It's tough to win one championship. It's said to be even tougher to win two in a row. Only the greatest teams of all time have pulled off three-peats.
The Panthers can't be complacent in their pursuit of another title. A deal for Faulk certainly wouldn't be complacent but rather a statement of intent.
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