Zito Time In Sunrise

This news broke later in the day, but it seems the man to the left is the successful candidate as chosen by the Florida Panthers to lead them into a new era following Dale Tallon's dismissal. That man is Bill Zito, and he has all sorts of hockey experience thanks to his work with the Columbus Blue Jackets and their AHL affiliate in the Lake Erie Monsters. Zito's name wasn't mentioned as a favorite in the race for the position in Sunrise, but it's pretty clear with his hiring that the Panthers are going in a new direction as compared to what they did in the past. Will it result in success and, in turn, fans passing through the turnstiles? That remains to be seen, but the job will be Zito's to change the franchise's fortunes if reports are correct.

According to a Sportsnet report tonight, Zito will be introduced tomorrow as the new general manager of the Panthers. Zito has served as the assistant general manager with the Columbus Blue Jackets since 2013, and he was in charge of the Lake Erie Monsters during that time. As you may be aware, Lake Erie claimed the Calder Cup as AHL champions in 2016, so it appears that Zito comes to the Panthers with a pretty solid resumé on the hockey side.

What some may not know is that Zito is a former NHL player agent who worked for clients such as Tim Thomas, Tuukka Rask, and Kimmo Timonen after founding Acme World Sports. The fact that he's been on both sides of the negotiating table should make him a good replacement for Tallon who handed out some rather questionable contracts to players.

Zito also played hockey in the NCAA from 1984-87 with the Yale Bulldogs before hopping across to Europe to continue his career. Upon his return, he joined the University of Wisconsin Badgers as an assistant coach while he earned his law degree. His other international work saw him named as the general manager for Team USA at the 2018 IIHF World Hockey Championship where the Americans finished with the bronze medal.

Of course, that all means nothing if he comes in and can't make magic out of a handful of beans. The Panthers are reportedly wanting to shed salary next year, so there's already a large challenge looming with UFA forwards Mike Hoffman and Evgeni Dadonov looking for new contracts. Those two earned just short of $9.2 million this season while scoring a combined 54 goals and 52 assists, so the Panthers will have a ton of offence to replace if they allow those two to walk. Needless to say, Zito's jumping into the proverbial fire if the reports about salary cuts are true.

If there is a silver lining to that dark cloud, it's that Zito might begin to look to the AHL to fill holes just as the Blue Jackets have over the last few years. Again, his experience there should prove vital if he's going to restock the farm with talent as players like Owen Tippett, Daniel Audette, and Aleksi Saarela might be ready to push for roster spots. Zito knows the Lake Erie system well, and while there are no immediate free agents who could hope to Springfield to help the Thunderbirds there might be a player or two he can convince to make the move.

Whatever happens from here, it's Zito time in Florida for the Panthers. While his resumé glows in terms of his hockey experience as a player, a coach, an agent, and an executive, everything comes down to his decisions now. I suspect we'll see Florida begin to look like his team in a few years as pieces are moved in and out, but it looks like Florida got themselves a great guy to man the helm in Sunrise.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!