Florida Panthers’ 2010s All-Decade Team

The Florida Panthers of the 2010s had a bit more playoff success than the previous decade and certainly brought back some icons and birthed some new ones along the way. Let’s look back at the Panthers All-Decade Team from the 2010s, factoring in a lineup that would be the most effective on the scoresheet based exclusively on a single-year body of work.

This will be the third of four investigations of the Panthers’ All-Decade Team, aiming to answer a variety of questions about which decade would be most prolific in scoring on a goal and assist front and which Panthers decade would wreak the most havoc on the rest of the league. The team will be composed of one player at each skater position, representing the best point-producing season at that position among the Panthers throughout the 2010s. The list will also include the best one-season play from a goalie across this decade.

Forwards

Jonathan Huberdeau 

The pick for the left wing role on the list goes to someone who had a very successful season in this decade but had yet to reach the heights of what he’d accomplish later. The 2018-19 season showcased Jonathan Huberdeau as a playmaking force while also contributing on the goal front. He played in 82 games that season and scored 30 goals and managed 62 assists for 92 points, adding 40 penalty minutes and finishing at minus-14.

He made zero playoff appearances in 2019 but still turned in an outstanding regular season, finishing with the fourth-highest assist total for a single season in team history, which cemented his place on this list.

Aleksander Barkov

The center selection on this team goes to Finnish superstar and captain of the team from the 2018-19 season, Aleksander Barkov. He played 82 games that season and tallied 35 goals and 61 assists for 96 total points, finishing at minus-3 with eight penalty minutes. He also picked up the Lady Byng Trophy, finished fifth in Selke Trophy voting, and was the 16th-place nominee in Hart Trophy voting, good for the sixth-highest vote total among centers that season. He appeared in no playoff games during that campaign of Panthers hockey.

Jaromir Jagr 

When it comes to the right wing role, there aren’t many seasons at that position to choose from; still, the honor goes to an NHL legend some fans forget once wore a Panthers uniform. The nod goes to Jaromir Jagr, who that year appeared in 79 games and registered 27 goals and 39 assists for a total of 66 points, adding a plus-23 rating and 48 penalty minutes along the way.

He had individual accolade success too, finishing 10th in Lady Byng Trophy voting, seventh in Hart Trophy voting, and 35th in Selke Trophy voting, which is remarkable at the age of 43.

That campaign also led to a playoff appearance for the Panthers, a six-game series in which he had zero goals and two assists. He claims the final place on this list for one last renaissance run after one of the greatest NHL careers of all time.

Defensemen

Keith Yandle 

The left-handed defenseman role goes to a selection who was a strong point producer and a key contributor to the 2018-19 Panthers both five-on-five and on the power play. The nod goes to Keith Yandle, who played in all 82 games that season and had nine goals and 53 assists for 62 points. This is the second-highest point total among Panthers defensemen and the second-highest assist total for a single season.

That season, he added 39 power-play points (seven of them goals), 50 penalty minutes, and a minus-17 rating, while still earning a nod to the all-star team. Given the point production he had and how that ranks in the Panthers’ record books, it clearly warrants his inclusion on this team.

Aaron Ekblad 

The right-handed defenseman nomination goes to a player who brought a lot to the table for his team to warrant inclusion on this list. The player is Aaron Ekblad for his play during the 2017-18 season, in which he played in 82 games and had 16 goals with 22 additional assists for 38 total points.

The 16-goal mark is tied for the highest in team history by a defenseman and the only one to be eligible for this slot. That season, he finished plus-9 with 71 penalty minutes, and while his play was successful, it still didn’t result in a playoff appearance for the team, though his record-book-bound campaign warrants inclusion on this list.

Goaltender

Roberto Luongo

The goalie position on this list is a repeat from the 2000s iteration of the list. The question left to answer is which season of Roberto Luongo’s merits inclusion on this list, and the nod goes to his 2015-16 season. That season, he played in 62 games and finished with 35 wins and 19 losses. During this campaign, he also finished with a .922 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.35 goals-against average (GAA), four shutouts, an all-star appearance, and a fourth-place finish in Vezina Trophy voting, plus 15th in Hart Trophy voting.

On top of his play as a goaltender, he even chipped in two assists to cap his season. He helped backstop the Panthers into the playoffs, appearing in six games with a record of two wins, one regulation loss, and three losses in overtime, while still managing a 2.05 GAA and .934 SV%.

This was an all-time season by a Panthers goaltender only eclipsed by the heights of what he accomplished in his first stint with the organization but certainly was among the best Panthers goalie seasons of the 2010s.

Honorable Mentions

From the 2010s team, a handful of other strong seasons certainly had an argument to take a place on this list; however, the other players just edged them out. In an alternative team, some of the names that could’ve taken their place include Jason Garrison, Jonathan Marchessault, and Tomas Vokoun.

With the roster selected, we need to examine how it compares to the other decades of the Panthers’ teams. Next up will be the 2020s in exploring which decade produced the best all-decade team for scoring output overall. The 2010s roster totalled 117 goals and 239 assists for a total of 356 points; it remains to be seen how the 2020s team compares and which decade’s roster reigns supreme.