Q&A with Assistant General Managers Eric Joyce and Steve Werier

SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers captured the Atlantic Division and racked up a franchise record 103 points last season, fueling the belief that the up-and-coming franchise could not only be consistently competitive, but also contend for a Stanley Cup.

In an effort to continue this upward trajectory, the organization entered the offseason with its sights set on making needed improvements – from minor to major – both on and off the ice. In the front office, Tom Rowe was promoted to general manager after serving as the associate general manager Dale Tallon, who was promoted to president of hockey operations. Steve Werier and Eric Joyce, who have been involved in the team’s day-to-day activities since the team was purchased by Vinnie Viola and Doug Cifu in 2013, were promoted to assistant general managers.

With a restructured management team in place, the Panthers then turned their attention to improving a roster that already boasted four 25-goal scorers, three All-Stars and two Calder Trophy winners. Added were Keith Yandle, Jason Demers, Mark Pysyk, Jared McCann, Colton Sceviour, Jonathan Marchessault and James Reimer, while Vincent Trocheck, Reilly Smith, Aaron Ekblad and Derek MacKenzie all signed multi-year extensions.

“It’s a young league and the game’s getting faster every year,” Rowe said. “We felt the guys we picked up (in free agency) gave us more skill. It definitely gave us some quicker guys on that third-line position and gives (head coach Gerard Gallant) more options than he had last season.”

With Florida’s top seven forwards all returning – including leading scorer Jaromir Jagr – it’s believed that these new additions, coupled with a few cap-savvy moves that will allow the team to continue growing, are exactly what the Panthers needed to contend not only now, but for many years to come.

Recently, FloridaPanthers.com’s Jameson Olive sat down with Werier and Joyce to discuss many of these topics, including the team’s active offseason and the importance of cap flexibility for a team on the rise.

OLIVE: It’s been quite an offseason so far for the Panthers, who continue to be one of the most active teams in what used to be traditionally sleepy summers in Sunrise. How did that come about, and how satisfied are you at you with this new-look team heading into the upcoming season? 

WERIER: We sat down early in the offseason and made a plan to extend, sign, and trade for players we believed would help us compete both next season and beyond. We presented that plan to Vinnie, Doug, Dale and Tom, and once it was approved, we acted on it.

The first piece of the plan was to make sure players like Aaron Ekblad, Reilly Smith and Vincent Trocheck continue their careers together as Panthers. They have been a huge part of our recent success; extending them for the long-term ensures they will be a foundational part of our future.

As for the new look, we identified Keith Yandle and Jason Demers as our top two targets on defense (free agents or otherwise). As part of our plan, we cleared significant cap space prior to July 1 through a number of transactions including the Savard trade. That cap space enabled us to take a hard run at Keith – who we knew would be in high demand – by acquiring this rights before he became a UFA. It also allowed us to aggressively pursue Jason on the 1st. Together with Mark Pysyk, Ian McCoshen and our returning players we are excited about our defensive core.

Up front, Jared McCann (who …

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