Nathan Horton totaled 295 points while playing with the Panthers in Sunrise, but he also played in front of one of the league's sparsest crowds, as the Panthers' attendance report has dropped considerably since the lockout season.
Struggling through terrible trades and a 10-year playoff drought has taken a serious toll on Florida, but are the Panthers the biggest problem team in the NHL?
Ever since the NHL expanded into the Sunbelt, hockey fans have questioned the reasoning behind it. NHL contraction, or moving the teams to Canada or Europe, are two ideas that have been thrown around for a while in the league but have yet to see any form of action.
Teams with such low attendances night in and night out are a drag on the league, as they end up costing the teams that record a positive attendance flow through revenue sharing.
They teams' poor attendance figures take a toll on the players, as well. If you've noticed anything about Horton this season — besides his positive influence on the B's offense — it's the constant smile that's plastered across the forward's face whenever he's talking about finally playing in a hockey town. It's clear these players feed off the fans, and playing in areas with limited hockey interest can affect the players in a negative way.
Phoenix has consistently recorded one of the lowest attendance figures for the past five seasons, and by the looks of the Coyotes' average attendance figure this season (10,265), it's not getting much better.
Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Nashville aren't far behind, either.
Which team would you cut first? Share your thoughts below.
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