The 2018-19 season marks the Florida Panthers'; 25th as a franchise. With five
 playoff appearances in their history, they haven';t been the epitome of
success. However, despite lacking team success, there have been many players in
 franchise history who had great seasons that have stood the test of time.

Some seasons are notorious for individuals setting franchise records, some
stand out for great individual performances on an otherwise untalented roster,
and still others are notable because they were impressive in a low-scoring era.
 The following seasons are the best in franchise history and each fit into one
of the preceding categories.Honorable MentionJaromir Jagr - 2015-16

Stats: 79 games played (GP), 27 goals (G), 37 assists (A), 66 points (P), 22
even-strength goals (EVG), five power-play goals (PPG)

We get the list started with future Hall-of-Famer Jaromir Jagr';s 2015-16
season. He was only a Panther for two full seasons but had quite an impact with
 49 goals and 130 points in 181 regular-season games. His 2015-16 season was
his best in Florida when, as a 43-year-old, he led the team in points and
even-strength goals.Jaromir Jagr';s mark of 0.84 points per game in 2015-16 was
 his highest since the 2007-08 season, his last in the NHL before he left for
the KHL. (Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports)

His 48 games with a point tied Teemu Selanne for the most games with a point by
 a player in his 40s since the 1987-88 season when the stat was first
calculated. Jagr also had 16 games with at least two points in 2015-16. The
Panthers won 33 of 48 games when he tallied a point but went 13-15-3 when he
was kept off the scoresheet.

He was also instrumental in the team returning to the postseason after a
three-year absence, where they were ousted by the New York Islanders in six
games. Jagr had no goals and two points in the series.The 10 Best Seasons10.
Roberto Luongo - 2015-16

Stats: 62 GP, 35-19-6, .922 save percentage (SV%), 2.35 goals-against average
(GAA), 4 shutouts, 12.34 goals saved above average (GSAA)Related: The Future
of Panthers'; Luongo

Goaltender Roberto Luongo is the franchise leader in nearly every goaltending
category, including games, wins, losses, saves, shots against, and shutouts. He
 leads the team in those areas despite being a Vancouver Canuck for seven-plus
seasons. In his tenure with the Panthers, the team qualified for the postseason
 once, also the only time they finished better than third in the division.

However, the Panthers'; struggles were not Luongo';s fault, who typically faced
 more shots than the average goalie and finished with a .500 or better record
once during his first stint with the team.Roberto Luongo is the most
accomplished netminder in Panthers history. As a 36-year-old, he turned in one
of his best performances in 2015-16. (Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports)

Luongo appears twice on this list, first for his 2015-16 season when, as a
36-year-old, he was top-10 in save percentage, wins, and games played. He had
20 games in which he allowed fewer than two goals, tied for fifth-most in the
league.

He was especially successful against in-division foes and won at least 80
percent of his starts against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens.
The result was besting the Lightning by six points en route to the Panthers
winning their division for the second time in franchise history. Luongo
finished the season tied for third in goaltender point share, a measurement of
a player';s impact on his team';s point total, and finished fourth in Vezina
Trophy voting.9. Vincent Trocheck - 2017-18

Stats: 82 GP, 31 G, 44 A, 75 P, 15 EVG, 13 PPG, 3 shorthanded goals (SHG), 5
game-winning goals (GWG)

It';s difficult to fairly compare seasons from the 1990s, when scoring was
elevated, with recent seasons as the league continues to recover from the Dead
Puck Era. For example, the league averaged 3.24 goals per game in 1993-94, the
Panthers'; inaugural season. Meanwhile, in 2017-18, that average was down to
2.97 per game, which is still higher than the seasons immediately following the
 most recent lockout in 2012-13.Vincent Trocheck had a career season in
2017-18, setting career highs in several categories. Although his offensive
totals don';t compare to seasons from the 1990s and early 2000s, what he was
able to do in a lower scoring league was impressive. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey
Writers)

Still, a comparison has to take place, and that';s why the next two seasons are
 on the list despite the players'; totals not being as lofty as earlier
seasons.

In 2017-18, center Vincent Trocheck led the team with 31 goals and 13
power-play goals in his age-24 season, as he provided great center depth behind
 Aleksander Barkov. He had 53 games in which he registered at least a point,
which led the team and tied for 11th-most in the league.

He had two six-game point streaks while his longest pointless streak over the
82-game season was three games. Trocheck was lethal against Western Conference
teams, posting at least four points against the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers,
 and St. Louis Blues in only two games against each.

When he registered at least a point, the Panthers went 31-22-6 and 13-14-2 when
 he was held off the scoresheet. He was also the driving force on Florida';s
otherwise poor 21st-ranked power-play unit, and his team-leading 13 power-play
goals represented 27.7 percent of the team';s goals on the man-advantage.8.
Aleksander Barkov - 2017-18

Stats: 7 GP, 27 G, 51 A, 78 P, 17 EVG, 5 PPG, 5 SHG

Aleksander Barkov continued to capture the league';s attention as a strong
two-way center in 2017-18, as he led the league in shorthanded goals and
finished fourth in Selke Trophy voting. He established a career-high in points
and games, and finished one goal behind his career-best while having his lowest
 shooting percentage since his rookie season.Aleksander Barkov proved he
belongs as an elite center in 2017-18, with the best season of his young career
 as a 22-year-old. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Additionally, his 53.5-percent success rate in the faceoff dot was
sixth-highest among centers who averaged at least 20 minutes per game and was
the first time he was above 50 percent in his career.

He had 49 games with a point and led the team with 22 multi-point games.
Between games 57 and 64, he had an eight-game point streak and never went more
than four games without registering a point. The Panthers'; record in relation
to Barkov';s production is one of the widest splits to be found. When he
registered a point, the team went 34-9-6, and when he was scoreless, they had
an 8-20-2 record. It is clear that the team followed Barkov';s lead.

In his final 20 games, he had six goals and 19 points, and the Panthers went
13-5-2 in that span as they attempted to chase down the final playoff spot in
the Eastern Conference. He ended up missing the final two games of the season
with an injury and the Panthers finished one point out of the playoffs. His 78
points still led the team by three despite playing in three fewer games than
runner-up Trocheck.7. Roberto Luongo - 2003-04

Stats: 72 GP, 25-34-14, .931 SV%, 2.43 GAA, 7 shutouts, 48.42 GSAA

Luongo';s second season on the list ended with a top-three Vezina finish, and
he was named to the second All-Star team. The 2003-04 Panthers were terrible
and finished in fourth place, 18 points out of playoff contention. Yet Luongo
was magical with a career-high .931 SV% while leading the league in shots
against, saves, and goals saved above average.

He allowed one or fewer goals in 20 games, stopped 40-plus shots in five of
them, but only won 16 of them, a result of a poor Panthers offense that tied
for the fifth-fewest goals scored. Luongo faced at least 40 shots in a
league-leading 19 games and had a save percentage of .920 or better in 16 of
them. In total, his 44 games with at least a .920 SV%, including 23 against
playoff teams, led the league.Roberto Luongo is the most beloved player in
Panthers history after two tenures with them. Despite a lofty save percentage
and goals-against average in most seasons, he often finished with a sub-.500
record due to a lack of goal support. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

To further convey how magical his season was, his backup, Scott Shields,
appeared in 16 games and had an .879 SV%, 3.44 GAA, and a minus-11.19 GSAA.
Given the lack of goal support Luongo received, it';s amazing he was even a
league-average goaltender, let alone a Vezina finalist.

Additionally, it';s intriguing to consider how many more career wins he would
have had he been surrounded by more talent during his tenure in Florida. He
finished with a save percentage of at least .915 in eight of his nine full
seasons as a Panther, yet has reached the 30-win mark just twice. He reached
that win plateau every full season with the Canucks.6. Olli Jokinen - 2006-07

Stats: 82 GP, 39 G, 52 A, 91 P, 29 EVG, 8 GWG

Olli Jokinen is somewhat of a forgotten player in league history. He finished
with 750 points in 1,250 games for his career and had the most success with the
 Panthers, with whom he accumulated 188 goals and 419 points in 567 games. Both
 totals are the most in franchise history despite Jokinen playing in only the
fourth-most games.

He finished the 2006-07 season with 39 goals and 91 points, but neither were in
 the top-10 of the league. By comparison, he would have tied for ninth in both
categories in 2017-18, an indicator of how much scoring rates have changed over
 the past decade. Jokinen led the Panthers in goals, assists, and even-strength
 and game-winning goals, including a 29-point lead over Nathan Horton in second
 place.

Jokinen finished with a goal in 30 games, six multi-goal games, and three hat
tricks. He was dynamic against the Carolina Hurricanes, with six goals and 16
points in eight games, and versus the Lightning, with four goals and 12 points,
 also in eight games. However, despite his attempts to put the team on his
back, the Panthers still missed the playoffs by six points.5. Ray Whitney
- 1997-98

Stats: 68 GP, 32 G, 29 A, 61 P, 20 EVG, 12 PPG, 2 GWG

The Panthers acquired Ray Whitney during the 1997-98 season after he played in
nine games with the Oilers. Despite only playing in 68 games with Florida, he
led the team in goals, points, and even-strength and power-play goals. He
finished with points in 43 of 68 games, including 14 with at least two points.

He started his tenure with the club by registering a point in his first seven
games. Before acquiring Whitney, the Panthers won three of their first 14
games. After the trade, they went just 21-36-11, but that doesn';t properly
convey his impact. In games when he had a point, the team went 15-21-7 but
6-14-5 when he went pointless.Ray Whitney may have played his most games with
the Hurricanes, but he did his heaviest lifting as a member of the 1997-98
Panthers. (Photo courtesy of Wendy Bullard/ Flikr.)

There was such little production surrounding Whitney that the Panthers
wouldn';t have been competitive no matter his production. He had a 12-goal and
13-point lead over Dave Gagner in second place despite playing in 10 fewer
games with Florida. Another reason for the team finishing 20 points out of the
playoffs was that none of their goaltenders had a save percentage above .899 or
 a goals-against average below 2.75.4. Olli Jokinen - 2005-06

Stats: 82 GP, 38 G, 51 A, 89 P, 23 EVG, 14 PPG, 9 GWG

The first of back-to-back seasons of high production, Jokinen';s 38 goals and
89 points in 2005-06 weren';t as high as his totals from 2006-07. However, his
value to the 2005-06 Panthers was higher as he led the team by 10 goals and 33
points. He also led the team in, assists, and power play and game-winning
goals.

The Panthers still finished fourth in the division but it had nothing to due to
 with Jokinen';s efforts. When he had a point, the team went 34-9-10, a winning
 percentage of 64.2, but won just 10.3 percent of games when he wasn';t on the
scoresheet.

He had a goal in 28 games and a point in 53 along with 27 multi-point games,
which tied for seventh-most in the league. Meanwhile, no other Panther had more
 than 13 such games. In spite of limited talent around him, Jokinen almost
willed the Panthers into the postseason.Olli Jokinen may have played for three
teams in his final season, including the St. Louis Blues, but his seven seasons
 as a Panther were his longest tenure with any one team. In 567 games with the
franchise, he is the franchise leader in goals and points. (John E.
Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports)

Between games 63 and 72, the team went 9-1-0, including 5-1-0 versus eventual
playoff teams, and Jokinen had 12 points. From game 73 to season';s end, they
had a 4-4-2 record and went 3-2-0 for playoff teams. They scored two or fewer
goals in six of their final 10 games and allowed at least four in five.

He still had 11 points during the span but the team couldn';t provide
supplemental help. In total, in games against Eastern Conference postseason
teams, Jokinen had at least two points versus all eight, including 14 points in
 eight games against the Lightning and 10 in eight when playing the eventual
Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes. His production against Tampa Bay was highest
in the league.3. John Vanbiesbrouck - 1993-94

Stats: 57 GP, 21-25-11, .924 SV%, 2.53 GAA, 1 shutout, 55.62 GSAA

John Vanbiesbrouck';s 1993-94 season is interesting because his stats weren';t
as good as Luongo';s listed above. Yet, due to the degree of difficulty,
Vanbiesbrouck deserves to be this high. The 1993-94 season was Florida';s first
 as a franchise and followed an expansion draft in which they selected
Vanbiesbrouck from the Canucks.

It';s similar to what Marc-Andre Fleury went through with the Vegas Golden
Knights except that the odds were stacked against the Panthers.Eight seasons
after John Vanbiesbrouck won a Vezina Trophy with the New York Rangers, he was
named a finalist for the trophy as the netminder of the expansion Panthers.
(Joe Schilp, Jr./Flickr)

Vanbiesbrouck set career highs in save percentage, shots faced, and saves made,
 in addition to a personal best and league-leading 55.62 GSAA. He finished the
season with a sub-.500 record and only one shutout but earned a place on the
second All-Star team and was a finalist for the Vezina and Hart Trophies.

Given that the Panthers'; leading scorer had 60 points, Vanbiesbrouck was the
main reason the team finished one win below .500 and 12 points ahead of the
other expansion team, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. His 15.2 point shares were
double the next-highest on Florida';s roster (7.2 by defenseman Gord Murphy).2.
 Pavel Bure - 2000-01

Stats: 82 GP, 59 G, 33 A, 92 P, 35 EVG, 8 GWG

The Russian Rocket, Pavel Bure, occupies the top two spots because he still
holds the franchise';s single-season records for goals and points. His 152
goals as a Panther remain the third-most in team history despite him only
playing 223 games with them. For the 2000-01 season, he won his second of
back-to-back Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophies by leading the league with 59
goals.

He scored a goal in 42 games, second-most to Joe Sakic, tied Jaromir Jagr for
the most multi-goal games with 12, and his four hat tricks tied fellow Russian
Alexei Kovalev for the league lead. He had a seven-game goal streak between
games 70 and 76 with 13 goals in that span, and his longest goalless streak was
 four games, which he did twice.

Although the Panthers were terrible and only won 22 games, it was not because
of Bure. He led the team in goals and points by 45 and 55, respectively,
outpacing Viktor Kozlov in both. When Bure scored a goal, the Panthers won 14
of their 22 games, and they had 24 of their 38 losses when he failed to find
the twine.1. Pavel Bure - 1999-00

Stats: 74 GP, 58 G, 36 A, 94 P, 45 EVG, 14 GWG

There';s no other choice for the best season in Panthers history than Bure';s
1999-00 season. He had 58 goals, including 45 at even strength, and 94 points
in only 74 games. He led the league in goals, even-strength goals, game-winning
 goals, shots, goals per game, goals created, and offensive point share.

His average of 0.78 goals per game remains the second-highest rate since the
1998-99 season among players with at least 70 games played. His 41 games with a
 goal, 12 multi-goal games, and four hat tricks all led the league. In addition
 to winning the Rocket Richard Trophy, he also finished third in Hart Trophy
voting and earned a spot on the second All-Star team.

Not only was Bure dynamic during the regular season in leading the team by 29
goals and 23 points, but he also had talent surrounding him, and the Panthers
reached the postseason for the third time in franchise history. In a four-game
sweep at the hands of the future Stanley Cup-winning New Jersey Devils, he
tallied a goal and four points.Pavel Bure, the Russian Rocket, won consecutive
Rocket Richard Trophies in 2000 and 2001 as a member of the Panthers.
(Mandatory Credit: Rick Stewart/Getty Images/NHLI)

Not only is Bure';s 1999-00 season the best in franchise history in several
categories, but by wide margins in some areas. His 45 even-strength goals are
10 more than second-place. His 0.78 goals-per-game average is 0.06 higher than
the next best season and his 1.27 points-per-game mark is 0.15 higher. In
second place in all three categories? Bure';s 2000-01 season.

His 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons are the best in franchise history, and by a
wide margin. What sets his earlier season apart is that he scored one less goal
 but had two more points in eight fewer games.

*All stats came from Hockey-Reference and NHL.com

The post 10 Best Seasons in Florida Panthers History appeared first on The
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