The Florida Panthers have been one of the nicer surprises of this NHL season. The team has a good mix of young talent from players and veteran leadership, a combination that currently has them third in the Atlantic division. Record-breaking Jaromir Jagr has been the one in the spotlight, but young stars like Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau are making their mark on the league too.

Still, when the team makes the playoffs this spring it will only be the fifth time in the franchise’s 23-years in the league. What little history this franchise has could expand exponentially with this group, and according to former Panthers defenceman Ed Jovanovski, they are ready to take on that responsibility.

“This year they’re taking that next step and if you look at the team, the way they’re balanced, there’s a lot of good, young veteran players,” he said. “It’s fun to watch and I think this part of town is craving playoff hockey.”

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