The Florida Panthers unloaded high-priced sniper Pavel Bure in March, but they haven't done much with the $10 million they saved. Other than acquiring veteran defenseman Dmitry Yushkevich from Toronto for Robert Svehla, have the Panthers done enough to improve on their 22-44-10-6 record in 2001-02?

ESPN.com asked for your thoughts about the Panthers. Here is an edited sampling of your responses:

	“	Are the Panthers still in the NHL? ”
		— Bob Rags, Anchorage, Alaska

I think the team is on the right track. They have some very good young players. Not enough attention is paid to Niklas Hagman, who was rookie of the month in March and had a very good Olympics, scoring Finland's only goal against Canada in the quarterfinals. I am looking for an improvement, but I'm not sure if a playoff spot is in the immediate future. They will be a young entertaining team that will improve throughout the year. I think the Panthers will be in the playoffs two years from now and could be a Cup contender 3-5 years from now.

Jeff Lingard
Ottawa, Ontario

I'm 19 and have been following the team since they started. It was great to see them in the finals way back when, and sad to see the decline. I'm happy with what has happened so far. Jay Bouwmeester will provide much needed help on defense and Kristian Huselius, Stephen Weiss, and Niklas Hagman will only improve. Dmitry Yushkevich was an awesome pick-up. Robert Svehla wasn't going to play for us anymore and we needed help from a veteran. The only problem I have is why we didn't attempt to sign anyone! Rick Dudley likes young players, but veterans are nice to have as well. We were told when Pavel Bure was traded that the money would go towards signing free agents. Well, that looks like it isn't happening now! All in all, I think the Panthers could surprise many people and I don't think we are too far from making it back to where we once were! Building around Roberto Luongo is great, and with the young talented scorers we have, big things will come!

Ryan Gerhard
Sunrise, Fla.

Last year was a disaster for Florida. But now that overpriced, overrated, and overused Pavel Bure is gone, the rebuilding is underway. The Panthers will improve because, frankly, there's nowhere to go but up. Even the most die-hard fans among us know the playoffs are a long shot, but if this young team jells quickly, they'll be in the race for the eighth spot in the East -- or the third seed. With Roberto Luongo in net, the Panthers should contend all season in the weak Southeast division.

Matt Fagan
Lake Worth, Fla.

Florida: Just another place that hockey does NOT belong and CANNOT thrive.

Anders Larson
St. Paul, Minn.

It would be nice to add a gritty veteran forward or two before the season starts to help along the small -- skilled kids up front. I'm expecting another long season as this group is just too young, but if this management/ownership will give the team some stability and time to grow this could be a really good team in 2-3 years. The problem with the team since the trip to the finals has been management constantly overestimating how good the team was and how far they could go in the playoffs. This led to way too many bad trades, terrible free agent signings and the loss of what could've key personnel for years to come (anybody remember we lost Radek Dvorak for Mike Vernon and Stu Barnes/Jason Wooley for Chris Wells, and Martin Straka for nothing. Anybody seen Chris Wells lately???). If ownership is not going to open the wallet then they need to close the revolving door and let the young talent they already have on the roster and the new high draft picks grow into a competitive club. We'll see what happens. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Todd Little
Hollywood, Fla.

They're young and they're inexperienced -- that spells another year at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. But, it also spells the possibility of an impressive team in the future.

Austin Smith
Miami

What the heck happened here? Six years ago they were battling Colorado for the Cup, and now you can't tell if it's the Panthers on the ice or their minor league affiliate! I understand that teams go through cycles of good and bad, but honestly, they had two, maybe three good years and the rest were a step below crap. Thankfully, they do have some bright spots (i.e. Huselius, Weiss and Bouwmeester). But the question is: Will Rick Dudley have the patience to bring these players along slowly, or will they be forced into the spotlight and go the way of Alex Daigle?

Dave Lauber
Detroit

There is only one question: How long until Luongo wants out?

Nathan Goldberg
Waukesha, Wis.

I'll just keep sucking on my Rum Runner until the hockey gods smile on South Florida in February!!!

Bernie Eischen
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

The Panthers last season were a very boring team, even when they did have Pavel Bure. If Luongo, Weiss, and Bouwmeester develop into the stars that some predict then the Panthers should ice an exciting team -- for the 2006-07 season.

Paul Shallenberger
Lake Worth, Fla.