Pavel Bure. (Associated Press)

1997-98 record: 30-34-18, 78 points, 2nd Southeast Division
Coach: Terry Murray (30-34-18, one year as Panthers coach)
New faces: C Jiri Dopita, G Trevor Kidd, D Lance Pitlick, RW Craig Reichert, G Ryan Bach, G Rich Shulmistra, D Filip Kuba
Losses: D Gord Murphy, D Daniel Tjarnqvist, C Herbert Vasiljevs, D Terry Carkner, C-LW Kirk Muller, RW Dino Ciccarelli, LW Johan Garpenlov, G Kirk McLean
Strengths: A full season with Pavel Bure. The "Russian Rocket" was nothing short of electrifying after his acquistion from Vancouver. Had he remained healthy, he might have led Florida to a playoff berth. If he comes all the way back this season, he will transform the Panthers into a high-flying team. The acquisition of Pitlick was a quiet one, but he will be a definite asset on defense. It wasn't exactly a breakout season, but C Viktor Kozlov showed signs of living up to his potential with 16 goals and 35 assists. RW Radek Dvorak also showed flashes, totaling 19 goals and 24 assists. Players like Kozlov and Dvorak can only benefit from the presence of Bure, who will consistently draw the opponent's top checkers. D Jaroslav Spacek enjoyed an eye-opening rookie season with a plus-15 rating on a team that gave up 18 more goals than it scored.
Weaknesses: Goaltending is not a strength with the former Carolina Hurricanes tandem of Sean Burke and Trevor Kidd. C Rob Niedermayer played all 82 games last season and was second on the team in scoring with 51 points. But the Panthers still believe he can be much better. With his speed, he is a natural choice to play alongside Bure. But his production actually dropped after the Bure trade. D Robert Svehla slumped last season after coming into camp out of shape. He later was suspended for arriving late to practice. The Panthers cut loose a host of veterans during the offseason, perhaps leaving a leadership vacuum.
Murray says: "We're no different from any other team in the league. We have to play our best lineup every night. You see just too often when a star player goes down. There is a long high wall that you have to get over. It is a huge hurdle. Obviously, we need Pavel Bure to play well and we need him to play all year."