March, 2014, the Panthers reacquire Roberto Luongo from the team they traded him to, the Vancouver Canucks. What the Panthers recieved was a older, wiser and more notable goalie. Gone was the young goalie making a name for himself. Now in net there is a two time Olympic gold medal winner and a game away from winning the Stanley Cup goalie. Also brought in was a contract that will help settle the Panthers goalie situation for the forseeable future. The impact of having a position and person like that in the organization should help make the young players have more confidence.
Filled with a roster of young talented players the Florida Panthers organization face the task of turning the franchise around. Management has added veteran depth with Cup winning experience during the offseason. However, the biggest addition to the locker room may be that of Luongo. He takes his job seriously while not taking himself too seriously. It has been said that he is a great teammate during the good and bad times during his tenure in Vancouver. He has experienced the taste of winning and wants to win again.
Another big factor for the locker room is his willingness to move back to Florida. He had stated that he loves South Florida and believes that with the core of young players they will be contending for the Stanley Cup shortly. This speaks volumes to players that are currently on the roster and those who may be looking for a new team. Not only do you have a great goalie in net but you also have one that believes in the franchise.
This isn't a stop-gap goalie that is here to prepare the way for "the goalie of the future." Luongo's role is to lead this young team from the goal. He knows what his role is and embracing it head on. A strong start by this team, mixed in with personality of their franchise goalie, could spell a resurrection for a stagnant franchise.