The very respected Scott Mellanby has an essential place in Florida Panthers folklore.  It was the rigged Right Winger who scored the first goal in franchise history, and it was there where the “Rat Trick” was born.  In the locker room, Mellanby killed a rat with his hockey stick and scored a goal later that night.  It made for a good story.  That season, Florida went to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time, and the fan-favorite would see plastic rats litter the rink when the Panthers scored a goal.  Mellanby’s only two 60 Point Seasons were as a Panther.  If this list ever gets based solely on popularity, Mellanby would always be in the top five.

One of the best pure skaters in the game, Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester has the ability to cause damage on the offensive rush as good as anyone.  Drafted 3rd Overall in the 2002 Draft, Bouwmeester played his first seven seasons of his career with the Florida Panthers.  Bouwmeester would eclipse 40 Points three times with Florida and was an All-Star twice.  With the Panthers, Bouwmeester scored 203 Points.

Pavel Bure may not be ranked #1 on this list of all-time Florida Panthers, but there is a case to be made for him, isn’t there?

Can it be argued that the first pick of the Florida Panthers' Expansion draft could not have gone any better?