Finding offense among Panthers' five questions

After making an improbable run to the Southeast Division title in 2011-12, the Florida Panthers stumbled badly the past two seasons, finishing with the worst record in the NHL in 2012-13 and the second-worst last season.

The Panthers still have an abundance of highly touted prospects, either on their roster or in the system, and they also have a new coach in former Columbus Blue Jackets coach and former Montreal Canadiens assistant Gerard Gallant. But they also have a lot of question marks heading into next season, and here are five that jump out:

30 IN 30: FLORIDA PANTHERS With Gallant at helm, Panthers eye quick turnaround Finding offense among Florida's five questions Panthers need Kulikov, Gudbranson to take next step Projected lineup, fantasy preview for 2014-15 No. 1 pick Ekblad leads Panthers' top prospects

ALL 30 IN 30 STORIES ›30 IN 30 CALENDAR › 1. Are the Panthers' promising young forwards ready to make a major impact? -- General manager Dale Tallon has maintained since arriving in Florida in May of 2011 that his blueprint would center around the NHL Draft, and he has accumulated some impressive prospects over the past few years, among them forwards Aleksander Barkov, Nick Bjugstad and Jonathan Huberdeau.

Because the Panthers haven't been able to land a high-scoring veteran forward to lead the way, the team will be relying heavily on those three players to help produce on offense after Florida tied for next-to-last in goals each of the past two seasons.

Bjugstad led the Panthers in scoring last season, but his 38 points were the fewest for a team leader since the last NHL expansion. Barkov shined as a rookie in 2013-14 before his season was cut short by a knee injury, but his all-around game stood out more than his offensive prowess. Huberdeau, meanwhile, will be looking to rebound after he followed his Calder-winning 2013 season with a disappointing sophomore effort.