The positive energy and optimism surrounding the Panthers and their future has been almost palpable since the team took the significant step of re-signing Olli Jokinen and Chris Gratton last Thursday.

Pardon the pinch of pessimism, but why?
The team sits 13th in its 15-team conference, ranks last in the East in scoring, and its goaltender is on track to break records for shots against and saves that he set two years ago.

"I do believe this is a good team," said left winger Jon Sim, who, having played in Dallas and Philadelphia, should know one when he sees one.

"We're a much better team than we were early on," added defenseman Mike Van Ryn. "That's from guys playing together, learning the system. We've learned a lot this year from our coaches."

Experience necessary

While the Panthers may have overpaid in handing Jokinen $21 million for the next four seasons, that single move reflected a confidence and commitment from ownership that has been absent in the recent past. While the other four teams in the 11th-15th spots in the East all were sellers at the trade deadline, Florida made the statement that there's a lot to like about its makeup and, with or without a few more pieces, the future looks bright.

"You hate to make excuses," goaltender Jamie McLennan said, "but we had a tough November (1-9-3 record), we had key injuries... It goes down the line."

Panthers coach Jacques Martin made it clear before the deadline that he had no interest in trading for prospects or draft picks. In Stephen Weiss, Nathan Horton, Jay Bouwmeester, Rostislav Olesz, Lukas Krajicek and Anthony Stewart, the Panthers have a solid young nucleus.

Now, they just have to play.

"Look around and a lot of guys have barely had 200 games in the NHL," Van Ryn said. "They haven't been around that long. As a defenseman you don't really understand the game until you're up around 300." (His 210 is second to Sean Hill's 742 among Panthers defenders.)

Some teams, such as the Carolina outfit the Panthers played the past two nights, picked up the nuances of the new NHL almost from the start of the season. The Panthers almost were the complete opposite.

They had a new coach and general manager, and GM Mike Keenan wanted Martin to assess his lineup before making changes. Krajicek, Sim and Steve Montador played their way onto the team. Kristian Huselius, Niklas Hagman, Eric Cairns and Alexander Karpovtsev played their way off it.

The huge influx of new players meant working out new roles. Jokinen returned as captain, but the leadership brought by Joe Nieuwendyk and Gary Roberts changed that dynamic. Jozef Stumpel needed time to find his playmaker role. Jokinen played extensively at wing before returning to center. Gratton, at first a checker, became a scorer.

There's always next year.

All that will be in the past by next season. While some faces will change, the core of the team will be set from the start of training camp. The continuity set by Thursday's signings will be key to progressing from there.

"I read on the Internet where someone wrote it was one of the most positive signs for the franchise in years, and I believe that," McLennan said.

"You nip and tuck with a player or two this summer and it's not far away. I'm a big believer of who we have in this (locker) room."