Kilger Suspended, Olli On A Cold Streak

News came out today that the Florida Panthers forward Chad Kilger has been suspended without pay. Thats quite interesting in my opinion for a couple of reasons: how long has this been going on and why would Jacques Martin trade for a player that, well won’t even play?

I’m not going to bash Martin for making the trade because I have personally not seen Kilger play, although mostly a bottom six type of player, he seems beneficial to any club with a ferocious fore check and penalty kill ability. Now, I have some background information on how Kilger was out of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ line up for two weeks or more before the trade deadline, but this is what I want to know, why would Martin trade for Kilger if he knew he would be out of the line up for a extended period of time?

What’s more interesting is that hes suspended from the club and without pay, Kilger failed to report in to the Panthers and has yet to dress up in a Panthers game. One can only wonder, I mostly find it interesting that nobody really knows why, especially with a very “in the face” Toronto media.

Since the Zednik incident, Olli Jokinen has had a couple of assists and no goals. This is extremely unlike the Florida Panthers’ captain who usually nets one or two every other game. Its hard to tell whats going on with Jokinen because in his interviews he seems completely fine.

I guess most Panther fan just find it odd because in one way or another, Olli is always on the score board. Its just quite interesting that Olli has been scoreless since then. In most games he’s working hard but its just not paying off. One thing is certain though, without his offensive presence this team sorely lacks goal scoring ability, it already lacks goal scoring ability even with Olli scoring like a mad man.

When the one person that carries his team on his back goes cold, the outlook isn’t too bright for that team. Luckily over the past few games the Panthers have been blessed with unbelievable goal tending and only came out of games with 1 goal and both games being a shutout and win. That can’t go on for ever though, this team needs to snap out of its scoring woes. You can’t rely on one player to carry a team the whole season, because why else dress any other players if none of them are going to contribute or even be willing to contribute.