(Another) Last Ditch Effort

Less than a year after firing coach Marc Crawford in the hopes of avoiding a disastrous 2015-16 season, the Panthers are trying again. After hiring Gerard Gallant last March, the team still missed the playoffs in what was a catastrophic season. Still loaded with talent, Gallant was given a chance to start the season and lead the Panthers back into a playoff spot. At almost the halfway point of the year, they are one again sitting too far out of a playoff spot for GM Dylan Wilson's liking. And with that disappointment setting in, there will be a third coach behind the bench in Florida in under 365 days. 

The team will now be turning toward assistant coach Mike Sullivan, who will take over on an interim basis. Sullivan, 48, has not been a head coach since 2010 after being dismissed by the Predators farm team, and hasn't been the main man behind a bench in the MRFHL since 2007 with the Boston Bruins. He will now be tasked to take over the highly underachieving Florida Panthers as they attempt to make-up points in the standings and make it back to the playoffs. 

Sullivan will officially take over behind the bench when the Panthers return home for a 3 games, starting with the also fledgling Winnipeg Jets. 

With a change to the head coach, what can we expect from the trading side of things? Dylan has made it known that the team will compete this year and it seems like he will be extra aggressive over the next few weeks to make the team better. Rumors had suggested Evgeni Malkin was on the block, but he might be given some time under the new head coach to see if he can get going.