The PuckPedia Hockey Show Episode 17: Nikita Kucherov Was Almost a Florida Panther ft. Steve Werier

On Episode 17 of the PuckPedia Hockey Show we are joined by Steve Werier, former Assistant General Manager of the Florida Panthers.Steve tells us about how he got into hockey (2:00), growing up in Canada, going to law school, then working at a law firm where the partners ended up purchasing the Florida Panthers. Steve then took on a role in Hockey Operations doing a bunch of behind-the-scenes work in 2014 before being promoted to Assistant GM in 2016 (4:00).Steve tells us a great story of how the Panthers were weighing an offer sheet for Nikita Kucherov before ultimately deciding against it as an organization (5:00).Then Steve dives into the current state of the NHL. We talk about the new provisions in the CBA and whether that will impact how teams operate from now until the Trade Deadline (11:15). We also touch on the state of three teams’ rebuilds (San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Anaheim Ducks) and how they might approach the Trade Deadline (21:00).We also talk about a few teams who are currently in the process of deciding whether they will rebuild or re-tool: Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, and Vancouver Canucks (25:00). We wrap up the episode with Steve’s advice on how to break into the NHL (28:15).  Visit PuckPedia.com and follow PuckPedia on social media!X: @PuckPedia IG: @PuckPedia Go to PuckPedia.com/Coolbet to get in on the action today. Stay Cool, Bet ResponsiblyTheme song by Lester McLean (https://www.lestermclean.com) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.