Who should stay and who should go?

This is a different off-season to many previous ones for the Panthers, and not just because it's a lot longer. Instead of the mass overhaul we're so used to seeing nowadays, there is now solid foundations that can be built on. I'd go as far as saying almost every import makes a case to be on next seasons roster, but there are certainly small adjustments that need to be made if we're to end what will become an 8 year title drought next year. 

I've gone over each player and summarised who should be re-signed and who shouldn't with a short explanation as to why. 

Goaltending 

Kevin Carr: GO  Some fans rate him too highly, others too low, in my opinion. He's solid on his day but he's not consistent enough. We can upgrade. 

Jackson Whistle: STAY The GB international is an excellent backup option, and does make a case to be starter with the import limit dropping. Whilst I'd be open to that, I'd rather we explore all options as a netminder can make or break a team. 

Sam Gospel: STAY Having put in some fantastic performances for Leeds this season and earning their supporters club player of the year award, Gospel will add more depth between the pipes. 

Defence

Danny Fick: STAY  He is already returning due to his university deal, and I couldn't be happier! Fick brings aggression to the Panthers defence and keeps teams to the outside. 

Jason Binkley: STAY Despite only playing in 6 games, the late addition has done well in 50/50 battles and posses a decent outlet pass. He hinted in an interview with the BBC that he will start a university deal in the new season. 

Mark Matheson: STAY  What a signing. A completely different player to the one who wasn't rated at Sheffield. The player assistant coach contributes at both ends, often making it look effortless. His age (36) must be kept in mind though. 

Josh Tetlow: STAY  Tetlow's potential remains. He brings a good physical presence and could become a stellar stay at home d-man. 

Brian Connelly: STAY  Connelly is solid defensively but it's his creativity going forward that impresses me the most. He creates space, possesses a good skillset and has quality vision and gets no where near enough praise for it.  

Guillaume Lepine: GO Whilst he has improved this season, Lepine remains error prone and lacks an outlet pass. He doesn't fit into a system that relies on the defence getting involved in the offence. 

Adam Deutsch: STAY  Since returning from injury, Deutsch has been quality in attack. He is still relatively young, and the potential is there for him to become a top offensive defenceman. 

Forwards

Robert Lachowicz: UNDECIDED  This is a difficult one. With the import limit dropping, British players are becoming even more valuable, despite a shortage of real quality ones. If we can bring in a new Brit or two at a push, then Lachowicz should probably go, but if we can't, he just about deserves to stay. His penalty killing is decent and that's about it. 

Brett Perlini: STAY As a Brit of import standard, Perlini is an absolute no brainer. He brings offensive production on a consistent basis as a result of his vision and skillset. 

Joseph Hazeldine: STAY A promising young Brit who continues to make progress. Another two way deal will do him the world of good. 

Jordan Kelsall: STAY  The 20 year old has bags of potential, bringing a good offensive zone presence for a 4th liner. 

Dylan Malmquist- STAY Malmquist was excellent going forward in the second half of the season. He is still young, and could very well develop into an elite forward. 

Georgs Golovkovs: GO This might be controversial, but whilst he is fast and can be very exciting to watch, Golovkovs is too selfish and wastes a lot of chances. He's replaceable. 

Jake Hansen: UNDECIDED He has been phenomenal for the majority of the season, but went missing quite a few times towards the end. I wouldn't say he's been poor overall, but we possibly need to upgrade if we are to match the bigger teams. 

Ryan Horvat: STAY Horvat is criminally underrated. He is able to contribute at both ends, despite not being overly flashy, helped by his physical presence, particularly on the penalty kill. 

Sam Herr: STAY Do I even need to explain this one? He's the best player in the entire league. End of discussion. 

Mathieu Tousingnant: STAY Tousingnant brings aggression and energy, as well as signs of a clinical scoring touch. Going forward, he is continuously able to break a defence down and get into the opponents faces. 

Jullian Talbot: STAY Out of our mid-season additions, Talbot had the biggest impact in my opinion. He wins faceoffs and reads the game effectively. 

Ollie Betteridge: STAY  One of the hardest working players I've ever seen in a Panthers jersey. Betteridge brings energy, and his forechecking is up there with the best. He wins 50/50 battles and finishes his hits. 

Jon Rheault: GO  I actually think Rheault started the season quite well, but as the team improved, he dropped off drastically to the point he was the worst import on the team. 

Conclusion 

That's 11 imports I'd keep, making room for 2 new non-British additions (or more if we want spares). Some may think that's excessive, but if we take out our shocking run to start the season, we'd probably have won the league, or at least have come very close. Cardiff and Guildford are two teams who keep a very large core of players, and continue to meet or exceed expectations, albeit in very different capacities. Something special is coming together, and it needs to be maintained. For our Brit pack, at least one stellar addition would be more than welcome (see my recent article for who I think this could be) which would make us a genuine force going into our title ploy.