MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Stephen Weiss ended up tying the franchise record for fewest points by a leading scorer (Pavel Bure in 56 games during 2001-02) yet the Panthers were pretty horrid offensively when Weiss wasn't around. In five games Weiss missed down the stretch, the Panthers got shut out twice and scored a grand total of six goals. Weiss is the favorite to become the Panthers' next captain and says he wants to be part of the solution in South Florida. Tomas Vokoun, last year's recipient of this award, also deserves strong consideration. If not for Vokoun, no way the offensively challenged Panthers are in a league-high 48 one-goal games.

MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER
It's hard to say Rostislav Olesz is Florida's most disappointing player this season since he seriously injured his knee on Feb. 25 and missed a large chunk of games with a broken finger. But Olesz, who is signed for three more years with a cap hit of $3.15 million, didn't exactly help his cause with team management who have grown tired of his game. So, this award has to go to Steve Bernier. The Panthers hoped Bernier would be a big, physical forward who would help create space when they acquired him as part of the Keith Ballard deal with Vancouver in June. Instead, Bernier disappeared for almost the entire season -- save for when he scored the shootout winner on Feb. 25 against the Thrashers a few hours after he cleared waivers.

BIGGEST NEEDS
The Panthers' scoring woes have been well documented over the past few seasons, but it was really elevated this season. Florida, which is expected to return a handful of forwards from this season, need to pick up a top-line center as well as a secondary center. The Panthers will also be looking for speed on the outside. Florida is fairly set on defense, although it will likely be in the market for two more this offseason. The Panthers will likely be looking for goaltending as well with Tomas Vokoun expected to leave as a free agent.

FREE AGENT FOCUS
Goalie Tomas Vokoun is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career on July 1, but the Panthers may try to lock him in for a few more seasons before that can happen. On April 23, assistant general manager Mike Santos said the team and Vokoun's agent had a "very general" talk and said not to assume that Vokoun will just up and leave the team. Florida has Scott Clemmensen signed through the 2011-12 season.

PLAYER NOTES

--D Dmitry Kulikov had an up-and-down sophomore season and admitted things didn't go as smoothly as he had hoped. Kulikov, the 14th overall pick in 2009, was strong as a rookie but found himself playing a bigger role with the Panthers in his second season. With more responsibility came more pressure and more matchups with top players across the ice. Kulikov is participating in the World Championships and says he plans on returning to South Florida earlier this offseason.

--G Scott Clemmensen may not have had the faith of his coaches for much of his first season with the Panthers, but that sure changed in his second. Clemmensen found an increased workload with the Panthers during 2010-11, getting 25 starts and appearing in 31 games. That was the most Clemmensen had worked in his NHL career -- save for the 39 starts he made filling in for Martin Brodeur in 2008-09.

--D Clay Wilson bounced back and forth from AHL Rochester but found a home in Florida following the trade deadline. Wilson made that time with the Panthers count. Wilson ended up scoring a career-high three goals with two assists as he appeared in 15 games -- almost double the NHL games he played in through parts of four previous NHL seasons with Atlanta, Columbus and Florida.

MEDICAL WATCH

--C Stephen Weiss (groin) missed three straight games before the season ended, yet played in the season finale against Washington on April 9. Weiss says he cannot play in the World Championships because of a variety of injuries that slowed him down this year.

--LW Steve Bernier (shoulder) missed Florida's final two games of the season.

--D Alexander Sulzer (groin) was hampered by this nagging injury, missing seven games from March 6-19 before returning. Sulzer was hurt again March 27 and missed the final six games of the season.

--C Scott Timmins (concussion) was wiped out by Ottawa's Francis Lessard on March 10 and was held out of the final 14 games.

--RW Rostislav Olesz (knee) suffered two big injuries this season. Olesz's broken finger -- which cost him 17 games -- healed up but then blew out his knee in a game against Atlanta on Feb. 25 and required surgery.

--RW Byron Bitz (sports hernia) was injured during the early stages of training camp and needed surgery a few weeks into the season. Bitz never did play for the Panthers this past season and only played in seven games since being acquired from Boston at the 2010 trade deadline.

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