Five teams that should trade for Dustin Byfuglien

5: Florida Panthers

The Panthers have been one of the biggest surprises this year. Sitting in first place in their division with a 30-15-5 record, they have as good a chance as they did in 1996 to make a deep playoff run. They’re not here by chance either. The have a great blend of young promising talent – Huberdeau and Ekblad – and veteran leadership – Jagr and Luongo, the latter of whom is playing at a Vezina level this season. They’re even getting set to play in the Super Bowl this year – oh wait…

If there’s an area of improvement, however, it’s their blue line. Only two Panthers defensemen have more than 10 points, and that’s their top pairing of Campbell and Ekblad. Bringing Byfuglien to Florida would make sense for a number of reasons. For one, their GM Dale Tallon has an existing relationship with him in Chicago. He would also significantly improve their defense short term and long term, since Brian Campbell won’t be around for much longer.

As Ekblad is a right-handed shot, Byfuglien would likely slot into the second pairing with Kulikov. Or if he isn’t comfortable with playing second-pairing minutes, he has played forward on multiple occasions and will be a valuable asset on the power play.

To get him, the Panthers would likely look at giving up their first-round pick, a blue-chip prospect – perhaps a Steven Kampfer and Reilly Smith to even out the books.

Next: 4: Dallas Stars