READING

PRO HOCKEY TALK - Looking Back at Panthers’ NHL-record Playoff Drought. The Panthers have been through about 100 general managers and coaches over the last 10 years, but only three owners. I won’t pretend to know anything about any of them (except the name of their original owner, Mr. Miami himself, Wayne Huizenga). But that amount of turnover over time will form a culture of losing, or at the very least, stagnation. The Panthers have had a ton of good players over the years, but never quite put a good team together. At least they have one now. Hope it means good things for them. Their prospect system is stocked well for the future.

KANSAS CITY STAR - Baseball’s TV Deals May Hurt Royals in the Long Run. The closest baseball comparison to the Islanders is the Kansas City Royals. A champion franchise a lifetime ago, they’re now routinely found at the bottom of the standings. Again, I don’t know the full story, but I do know they’ve had the same owner for years. Baseball is a little different in that prospects take forever to incubate into everyday players. And even then, there’s no guarantee they’ll be the ones to carry your team to the top. it seems the Royals have something brewing this season but are hindered by some red tape and bad deals, very much like the Islanders. (thanks to ESPN’s John Buccigross for posting the story on his twitter @buccigross)