‘The Panthers check more boxes than any other team when it comes to a hospitable Hall environment. They rank among the top Stanley Cup contenders in the NHL at the moment. They need a true No. 2 left winger behind Jonathan Huberdeau rather than mixing and matching the likes of Mason Marchment, Anthony Duclair and Frank Vatrano. In matchup master Joel Quenneville, they have a legendary coach who could probably get the most out of Hall. Even though their biggest need is obviously on the right side of their blueline after Aaron Ekblad’s heartbreaking leg injury, the Panthers can afford to acquire Hall plus a defense upgrade given the cap savings from placing Ekblad on LTIR. There may be no contender with more financial flexibility at the moment.’