Nine months ago, the Florida Panthers were hoisting the Stanley Cup. Tonight, they're fielding trade offers on their star goalie. That's how fast it goes in professional sports, folks.

The defending champions have made the decision to become sellers, according to Pierre LeBrun. They're listening on pending unrestricted free agents, most notably Sergei Bobrovsky and A.J. Greer. Bobrovsky has a 16-team no-trade list, which complicates things, but the message is clear: this team is done competing this season.

Let me tell you something - you don't often see the champs blow it up this fast. But when you watch the Panthers this season, it's been brutal. The magic is gone. The chemistry that carried them through last year's playoff run has evaporated. They've lost the edge that made them champions.

Bobrovsky is 37 years old. He was brilliant in last year's playoff run - absolutely brilliant. But age catches everyone, and the Panthers know that better than anyone. If they can get something for him now rather than watch him walk in free agency, that's the smart business move.

But here's what kills me about this: they haven't even given it a full season. They're giving up in early March. I understand the math - they're probably not making the playoffs. But championship teams fight to the end. They don't wave the white flag.

The 16-team no-trade list is fascinating. Bobrovsky has earned the right to control his destiny, but it also limits Florida's options. He's not going to just any team - he'll want to go somewhere that can win, somewhere he wants to live. That narrows the market significantly.

Think about contenders who need goaltending help: Colorado, Dallas, maybe New York. Those are teams that could use a veteran with championship experience, even if it's just a rental for this year's playoff run.

For Panthers fans, this has to hurt. You finally win the big one, you finally break through after all those years of heartbreak, and less than a year later the team is being dismantled. That's the business side of sports that nobody likes to talk about.