Glancing at the league standings, it should come as no surprise that the Florida Panthers are among the clubs considered deadline buyers. The organization is on the. Copyright 2022 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. // Photo courtesy @FlaPanthers Subscribe to FHN+ It has now been a year since Bill Zito was hired as the 11th general manager in Florida Panthers history. It's like gears, right? Hes been the Cleveland Monsters GM for five years. No one's the same. He was often called "The Architect", or "Bow Tie Bill" for the bow tie he wore. At times we were contradicting and then calling each other out. There is no beating around the bush. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2008-2023, Glassdoor, Inc. "Glassdoor" and logo are registered trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc. I think it starts with the captain, who is just a fantastic player. The Florida Panthers are a community focused organization led by an authentic management team that served our country and now serves the South Florida community. With Zitos help, Columbus has reached the Stanley Cup playoffs in four straight years after qualifying just twice in their first 15 seasons of existence. The 38-year-old forward has been one of the biggest surprise of the year for the Panthers, scoring 12 goals and recording 14 points all since the start of the new year. The Official Florida Panthers Membership Hub. GM Bill Zito explains. How Bill Zito finally went from perpetual finalist to GM, How the Rangers, Bruins, other East powers took over the trade deadline. When do you get to do an eight-hour overview of an NHL organization with an owner?" My brain cant stop working, thinking about everything this job entails, from player personnel to getting better by the time the season starts to what are we going to do in the Draft? Zito said. Either way, itll be a tricky hill to climb; and one thats far from the on-ice ordeals. Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito speaks to the media on June 2, 2021. Zito is the latest addition for the Panthers, who have made a concerted effort to overhaul the organization in the last two years. Mobile ticketing is the most convenient way to manage your tickets and parking. Zito, 55, joins the Panthers after seven years with the Columbus Blue Jackets. ", The children didn't respond. In terms of assets not on the current roster, young players like Owen Tippett and Grigori Denisenko come to mind, but off-limits in any trade are rookies Spencer Knight and Anton Lundell. ", "N.H.L. by And Roberto Luongo, the longtime Panthers goalie whose jersey was retired by the club earlier this year, is expected to remain with Florida. All Rights Reserved. Contents March 03, 2023 5:17 PM. Thatll surely be a priority for the new Florida Panthers general manager. Take a look, He found a clam on a Florida beach to make some chowder. Zito was asked how his tenure was going to be any different from the general managers who came before him. Zito has proven to be more than capable at not only pulling off big moves, but having them pay off immediately (see: Bennett, Sam). The estimated additional pay is $19,447 per year. The estimated total pay for a Manager at Florida Panthers is $77,224 per year. Click below for a list of all upcoming events at the home of the Florida Panthers! Eleven of the players on Columbus current roster were drafted by the Blue Jackets in Zitos time with the organization. Florida Panthers fans have messages for there favorite players during warm ups prior to the start of the game against the Nashville Predators at the FLA Live Arena on March 2, 2023 in Sunrise,. The new GM could find a lot of monetary-success if he can polarize the stars appropriately. Roster and Statistics. Experience the Florida Panthers and FLA Live Arena World Class Shows in the most premier setting! "When we purchased the Panthers in 2013, we did so with a singular goal -- to win a Stanley Cup. Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov are both pending-free agents whose salary would just nearly account for the second half of the $10 million that needs to be voided. Could the additional money loss force their hand into dealing away high-earners like Aleksander Barkov or Aaron Ekblad? "But at the same time, it's our job to make prudent decisions. David Dwork joined the WPLG Local 10 News team in August 2019. How much do Florida Panthers employees make? Tallon wasn't there for those Chicago titles; he was fired less than a year after delivering Quenneville. 2022-2023 Florida Panthers Season. Big takeaways | Top 100 rankings More NHL content. He said he was always one person removed from Quenneville during their time in the NHL -- as a player agent, Zito lived in Chicago during the start of the Blackhawks' dynasty, with three clients playing for Chicago in 2010. So the last thing I want to do is come in and be knee-jerk about it," Zito said. Entering play on Monday, the Panthers have the fourth-highest point total in the league, with their 79 points in 55 games only trailing Colorado (85 points in 56 games), Carolina (83 points in 56 games) and Tampa Bay (80 points in 55 games). And while there shouldnt be talk of relocation or anything of the sorts, the writing is slowly appearing on the wall. Hes taking the reigns of one of the most challenging situations in the league. But sometimes, fresh GMs and hard-headed owners can force change. The next four NHL Drafts are absolutely filled with high-end talent that will revamp the leagues prospect pools. Florida Panthers and floridapanthers.com are trademarks of the Florida Panthers Hockey Club, Ltd. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks and NHL Draft name and logo are trademarks of the National Hockey League. Needless to say, its muddy. Theyre surrounded by some other great young pieces coming and a coach that knows how to bring them along, so we just need to keep adding to those young pieces and helping them. "If it means that we're expanding opportunities for people . Everything about 2022-23 Season Memberships for the Florida Panthers! Not the big stretch one, but just a regular Cadillac limo. FloridaPanthers.com is the official Web site of the Florida Panthers. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images "We've certainly got a lot of things [to do]. A few hours later, he sat in front of a video camera and explained why he decided to leave his post in the Columbus Blue Jackets front office to become the 11th general manager in Panthers history. Although the Panthers played in the 24-team postseason tournament in the NHL's restarted season, they were eliminated by the New York Islanders in four games. Draft grades | Every pick, analysis The scouts with the Blue Jackets had a philosophy: If you're not watching him 20 times, at least watch the player 10 times. The team tried to remedy this by giving holders discounts in the team store and at concessions but many noted that the discounts were fairly negligible. They might have grabbed a beer in a group, he said, but didn't have the kind of personal relationship they'll have now. Zito and Bednar won the 2016 Calder Cup with the Lake Erie Monsters, which put the then-assistant GM on every team's radar. In an effort to stay competitive, its likely that the Panthers simply re-sign whichever will take the cheaper deal. Look who's here! Join us at Pucks & Pints Beerfest presented by Funky Buddha Brewery on Saturday, March 4. Florida Panthers employees earn an average salary of $57,114 in 2023, with a range from $37,000 to $86,000. NHL trade deadline tracker: Will the underachieving Panthers buy or sell (or neither)? Better marketing of star players like Barkov and Ekblad also seems crucial. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. ", It was meant as a joke, but there was more than a little truth behind it: Zito was an integral part of Blue Jackets management, and they were allowing him to interview with a conference rival. The salary starts at $93,964 per year and goes up to $186,884 per year for the highest level of seniority. He struggled under the weight of that deal in posting just a .900 save percentage in his first season in Florida after seven with Columbus. Zito, 55, was born in Pittsburgh, raised in Milwaukee and played for the Yale Bulldogs. Zito was given a five-year contract to replace Dale Tallon, whose contract wasn't renewed. Stay up to date with scores, schedule, team updates and much more. Bill Zito, who had been with the Columbus Blue Jackets since 2013, heads to Florida to replace Dale Tallon. Unfortunately, that may not work out too well for Florida. With Bill as our new GM, we are thrilled to begin the next chapter of Panthers hockey in South Florida.". With his family gathered in their living room, Zito . The process was exhilarating.". He served as a general manager in the National Hockey League for the Oakland Seals, New York Islanders, and Florida Panthers.He developed the Islanders into a dynasty that won four consecutive Stanley Cups. On Sept. 1, Zito was named the new general manager of the Florida Panthers, having served as Columbus Blue Jackets' assistant GM since 2013. Aleksi Heponiemi has a promising future but clearly needs a few years to develop before his NHL-expectations can be truly laid out. "A lot of things are what-ifs. Right now, neither player has the league-wide reputation they deserve, thanks to a bit of a dry Florida media pool. Florida Panthers DIRECTOR, PREMIUM SALES Sunrise, FL 5d Florida Panthers AV Technician Related Searches:All Manager Salaries|All Florida Panthers Salaries. And he wants to win," said Zito, who called Bobrovsky before being announced as the new GM. Quenneville and Zito are essentially outsiders coming in to audit the organization. The top priority for the new Florida Panthers general manager will be to immediately cut salary. This is a franchise in desperate need of postseason success. Florida panthers occur in the peninsula of Florida, primarily south of Orlando. And if Quenneville turns the Panthers into a winner, once again Tallon will be watching from elsewhere. The organization is on the rise and is experiencing success both on and off the ice. But this is Zitos first time being in the thick of things, as a stand-alone NHL GM. Its no secret that the Panthers arent in the best situation in terms of the business side of things. Become an insider and sign up now for the Florida Panthers newsletter and more. He's a really intuitive guy, really bright. Get your latest gear to wear at the next home game! They're resilient.". Everyone was sharing and talking. Florida Panthers 2022-2023 Salary Cap. Round 1 best picks | Round 1 recap All rights reserved. Zito was joined as a finalist with Montreal's Marc Bergevin and Lou Lamoriello of the New York Islanders. Caldwell said Zitos contract is a five-year deal. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has documented males as far north as Georgia. Florida Panthers. The Cats are in win-now mode, and it would be more than acceptable to swing for the fences and go all-in for a chance at winning the Stanley Cup. It all lies on the effectiveness of a first-time GM and a stingy, desperate owners group. With his family gathered in their living room, Zito broke the news by telling Gigi, "You're getting your limo.". An updated look at the Florida Panthers 2022-2023 salary cap table, including team cap space, buyouts, buried & retained salary, & complete breakdowns of player cap hits, salaries, and bonuses. Zito comes in with the backing of ownership to make the changes he feels are necessary to level them up. The Florida Panthers will have a new general manager next season, making the announcement early Monday that Dale Tallon is leaving the franchise after 10 years. Theyll be faced with some of the hardest negotiations in the league, backed by an overbearing owner group. NHL trade deadline: Winners and losers, including the Bruins, Devils and Bruce Boudreau? Zito will now have to find a way to best supplement them and turn Florida into a perennial contender for the first time. The cost for Bennett was a 2022 second-round pick and former second-round pick Emil Heineman. Its no secret that Zito has been looking to bolster Floridas back line. He attended law school at the University of Wisconsin and served as an assistant coach for the Badgers varsity hockey team and a radio color commentator for Badger hockey. Additionally, Zito served on the management team for Team USA for the 2015 IIHF World Championship team earning a Bronze Medal and served on the International Council for USA Hockey. Florida expected to take a step back this year because it has more than $6 million tied up in dead cap and it was trying to make a major stylistic . Forwards Colin White and. View the full team roster and stat leaders for the 2022-23 NHL season on CBS Sports. For a team that was clearly cutting corners wherever possible, this was the worst possible reaction. Floridas style of play only magnifies those talents, with Interim Head Coach Andrew Brunette maintaining the high-pace, quick transition, puck possession systems the team has been learning and implementing for the past several years. The Florida Panthers are a community focused organization led by an authentic management team that served our country and now serves the South Florida community. "It's very clear they trust me. "That's a great question, because I ain't giving away anything," Zito said with a laugh. Born and raised in Miami-Dade County, David has covered South Florida sports since 2007. Florida Panthers and floridapanthers.com are trademarks of the Florida Panthers Hockey Club, Ltd. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks and NHL Draft name and logo are trademarks of the National Hockey League. Visit FloridaPanthers.com/Memberships or call 954-835-PUCK for more information. 'Nacho Tots Tuesdays', $5 Beer Thursdays, Saturday Territory Takeovers - and more! You were making ground: Someone would ask you a question, you'd respond, and then the follow-up would be based on your response, because maybe there was something unique that you had said," he said. They've made the conference quarterfinals once since 2012, and just five times in franchise history dating back to 1993-94. Goals For: 189 (5th of 31), Goals Against: 153 (8th of 31) He handled our team really well.". The Panthers shifted things around to require season-ticket holders to now pay over $400-per-seat for parking, for the whole year. Organize your next outing with the Florida Panthers. It would also add an important layer of insurance to the group. Click to join our '93 Society E-Mail Newsletter for exclusive content, deals & more! Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. The estimated base pay is $57,890 per year. The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, United States. He's on the record admiring some of them -- captain Aleksander Barkov, in particular -- but one assumes there will be changes. After ten years, the marriage in South Florida between general manager Dale Tallon and the Florida . Aleksi Saarela has done well in the minors but hasnt found his groove in the NHL. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. The NHL has since opened up an investigation into Tallon after he allegedly used a racial slur while with Florida in Toronto earlier this summer for the 22-team playoffs. That means that the Panthers still have an additional $5.125 million to clear and thats assuming the Covid-19 shutdown didnt hurt their money situation even more. The organization is on the rise and is experiencing success both on and off the ice. Conference: Eastern.