Bouwmeester Should be Traded Soon?

Bouwmeester's not long for Florida
By: Allan Muir
Sports Illustrated Article.


I'll never forget the first time I heard a scout gushing about a 14-year-old named Jay Bouwmeester. "I swore I'd never compare anyone to Bobby Orr," he gushed. "But that's exactly who this kid looks like."That scout wasn't the only one who dared invoke the name of the game's greatest defenseman -- and in my book, its greatest player -- when describing the potential of the young blueliner. It was his smooth skating, the effortless way he had of carrying the puck, his ability to make a game-changing play anywhere on the ice. This was a player who had a chance to be special.And while no one truly expected Bouwmeester to live up to Orr's unmatchable legacy, the hype dogged him through his final two seasons of junior, and through the early years of his NHL career. In fact, it took him until this past season before he truly looked capable of handling the role of franchise blueliner for the Florida Panthers.

His play hinted at an athlete who had finally grown comfortable in his own skin, someone ready to join the ranks of the game's elite defenders.But if he ever fulfills his potential, you can count on this: it won't happen while he's wearing a Panthers sweater.When Bouwmeester chose to forego arbitration and sign a one-year deal on Monday that is worth slightly less than $4.9 million, the signal was clear. He'll be the next in a heartbreaking line of Florida stars to desert that rudderless ship.Sure, the words coming out of the Bouwmeester camp in the wake of the agreement suggest that he would stay if only he could be swayed to believe the team is on the right track. Easy for him to say, because he already knows how this story is going to end.Who can blame him for seeking his emancipation?

The Panthers haven't been to the postseason in eight years, and in a tightly packed Eastern Conference where arguably only one playoff team, the New York Rangers, has slipped back, the chances of his club making the cut for the first time in Bouwmeester's pro career are slim. And despite years of high picks, there's little reason to believe that's going to change any time soon.Surely the parade of changing faces has been equally draining. Watching the team fail to keep Roberto Luongo and Olli Jokinen was painful enough, but add in the minimal return and it's a brutal reminder of an entrenched culture of mismanagement. So too is the fact that incoming coach Pete DeBoer is the fifth bench boss to guide the Cats since Bouwmeester joined the squad in 2002.

Despite the inevitable divorce that lies ahead, this deal is a good one for both sides. Worse comes to worst -- i.e. he spends the entire season in Florida -- Bouwmeester sets himself up to be an unrestricted free agent who can choose his own fate next summer.At the same time, his cap hit is manageable for almost every team, as long as a little salary comes back in the deal. That allows Florida GM Jacques Martin to entice the maximum number of suitors and maybe, finally, realize a reasonable return on the team's investment.So the only questions now are when Bouwmeester leaves, and for what?Conventional wisdom suggests that Martin keep his powder dry until the trade deadline, but that ain't gonna happen. Neither will he hold out until Jan. 1, 2009, the first point at which he can approach Bouwmeester about an extension.

The intentions of Bouwmeester are clear, so the time to pounce is early, perhaps during training camp. Not just because of the constant distraction that the situation will create, or the fear of an injury curtailing his value, although those factors certainly play into the equation. And not just because every game the Panthers lose further weakens Martin's bargaining power.No, they have to move Bouwmeeter asap in order to get the franchise moving in some direction -- hopefully forward -- rather than simply treading water.Who might be in the market? Who wouldn't be?The 6-4, 212 Bouwmeester is a package that any team would love to add. He's developed into the league's premier workhorse, leading the NHL in both total time on ice and average TOI per game last season. He hasn't taken a night off in three years.

The silky skating continues to be his primary asset, and his physical game is rounding nicely into shape. And while his point totals have dropped in each of the last two seasons (46 to 42 to 37), his goals have risen from five to 12 to 15, a sure sign of his increasing comfort with the puck and his improving ability to sniff out scoring chances. And Bouwmeester, the third overall pick in 2002, will have just turned 25 when the season begins in October.The Anaheim Ducks, already over the cap for this season, might seem like an unlikely candidate, but they'd have to be the leader in the clubhouse.

They have just one blueliner, Chris Pronger, under contract past this season and his deal extends only through 2009-10. The Dallas Stars, who could lose both Sergei Zubov and Philippe Boucher after this season, also should be in the running. The Senators and Devils also have the needs and the assets to get involved in the bidding.That particular process won't be for the meek. The package likely will be more than the one Atlanta won from Pittsburgh in the Marian Hossa deal (Colby Armstrong, Eric Christensen, top prospect Angelo Esposito and a 2008 first-round draft pick). Look for it to involve two high-end prospects with some NHL experience, a top junior-aged prospect and a first-rounder.That's steep, but for a special player like Bouwmeester, it's worth the risk.



If we can get more than what ATL got for Hossa, TRADE HIM NOW lol. I have no faith they will get a fair trade since they never do!

The Latest on Bouwmeester

His Arbitration hearing is scheduled for July.29.08

He has recently rejected a multi year contract extension from the Panthers worth a little over 5 million a year. It is apparent that the Panthers are low balling him since he is worth (to the team) about 6 million a year.

http://thefourthperiod.com/news/fla080723.html

Lets all keep in mind that Bouwmeester is the player who this organization was planning on building around. This organization also was planning on building around Luongo but didn't want to pay up. Jokinen was also "untouchable" and would not be traded by the Panthers.

The Panthers 3rd overall pick is about to pack his bags and leave Florida like so many other great players have before him. Its tradition in Pantherland to always trade away their best talent just to stay under the playoff line come the end of the season. At least the Panthers are consistent losers.

Lets Tie the Bouw?

This is taking way too long to sign Bouwmeester. Everyday without signing him is more and more likely that he is a goner. I do not see them doing a 1 year which will result in trading Bouwmeester for some scoring and a defensive player.

I think JM needs to just overpay and get the deal done. Bouwmeester is the most important player on this team, it would be a huge set back if he were to leave the sunshine state. So much for sunshine!

Monty Off to the Ducks

Monty signes a 1 year 800,000 contract with the Ducks.

Bouwmeester, Trade or No Trade?

Panther fans, would you like to see JM trade Bouwmeester and get some value for him or sign him to one more year and possibly lose him if this team is unable to make the playoffs again?


If a long term deal is not made, I would trade him.


thoughts?

Optimism in South FLA

Believe it or not, the Florida Panthers may actually compete next year.

Without leading scorer Olli Jokinen, the Panthers may actually end up with a better team next season. After the trade to Phoenix, many fans said it would take a huge free agent signing to bring optimism back to Florida.

Enter Cory Stillman. While Stillman isn't a superstar, he brings many things to the table that Jokinen couldn't. Stillman is a leader, with multiple Stanley Cup victory experience, and doesn't give up much in terms of scoring. He will put up close to the same amount of points Jokinen will, plus he's a team player.

Even though I would have loved one more free agent signing, the Panthers may actually be in decent shape. Atlanta is reeling, losing Bobby Holik, and not being able to acquire someone to replace the loss of Marian Hossa. Rob Hainsey is all they have to show from free agency thus far.
Carolina has picked up some talent on defense finally, but at the expense of Panthers-killer Erik Cole. Washington swapped Cristobal Huet for Jose Theodore, a downgrade in my eyes, while the Lightning have given a whole new meaning to the term the best defense is a good offense.

The Panthers clearly have the best goaltender in the division, and the best defense now as well. Throw in an offense that will now suffice with Stillman, plus the potential of the young guns, and Florida has to have a chance in the Southeast Division this year. Oh, and having a hard working, motivating coach can't hurt either.

Unlike any season in recent memory, I see reason for optimism in South Florida. Even if it is just July.

Panthers Sign Cory Stillman

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=242186&lid=sublink07&lpos=headlines_main



AWESOME SIGNING!

He's a solid 1st liner! I'm excited now, no longer unhappy!

Rusty Olesz Signs 6 Year Contract!

The Florida Panthers have signed forward Rostislav Olesz to a multi-year contract.
Sources says it's a six-year, $18.75 million deal with an annual salary cap hit of $3.125 million.
He was scheduled to be a restricted free agent.
Olesz, picked 7th overall in the 2004 draft by the Panthers, was on the verge of a breakout season but was hampered by a hand injury most of the year. He ended up with 14 goals, 12 assists and 26 points in 56 games.
Olesz had surgery after injuring his hand early in the season and missed 14 games. He missed 12 more games due to the hand later in the season , but returned to score 7 goals in his next 15 games before struggling down the stretch.
In 190 NHL games, all with the Panthers, Olesz has 33 goals and 44 assists for 77 points. He also has a +1 rating despite never playing on a playoff team.


Love the length, Hate the cost. I think they overpaid but oh well he is here for 6 years, lets hope he turns out to be a bargin!

How to Win in the NHL

Spend money.

Philly, from last to playoffs and eastern conference final
Tampa, from last to probably the favorite now in the SE division. They just got Roberts and Malone today. They are def not done since FA is coming up. These franchises know what they are doing.

The Panthers on the other hand have been "rebuilding" their youth through the draft and they rarely spend the money in FA. Why do you think they have the same year each and every season.

If they actually got some quality guys on this team and spent the money, this team would be at least 4th or 5th best in the East.

Cohen needs to sell or just give up.

Stumpel Placed on Waivers!

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=241638&lid=sublink01&lpos=headlines_nhl



The Florida Panthers placed veteran centre Jozef Stumpel on waivers on Wednesday, making him a buyout candidate if he clears at Noon et/9am pt on Thursday.
Stumpel is entering the last season of a two-year contract extension that will pay him $2.25 million. The 35-year-old had seven goals and 20 points in 52 games last season.
A second-round pick of the Boston Bruins in 1991, the native of Czechoslovakia has 196 goals and 677 points in 957 games with the Bruins, Panthers and Los Angeles Kings.


This will free up more cap space for FA wingers/Centers and the contracts for Bouwmeester and Olesz.

JM get these deals done, good job on waiving Stump!

Panthers Outlook

If there’s one thing the Panthers have made clear this offseason, it is that defense is going to come first. These third period meltdowns led by nervous defenders are going to become a thing of the past. Although Florida doesn’t have much in terms of scoring depth at the moment, it appears as though the Cats are going to try a different strategy this season. One that hopefully will pay off.

It’s no secret that the Eastern Conference is full of speedy teams with scoring machines, especially in the Panthers very own Southeast Division. With Eric Staal leading the Hurricanes, Alex Ovechkin heading the Capitals attack, Ilya Kovalchuk taking the reigns for Atlanta, and now Steven Stamkos joining the ranks of Martin St. Louis and lifetime Lightning man himself Vinny Lecavalier in Tampa Bay, the Panthers have a virtual mine field in their path. Plus, the Panthers only borderline star is now on his way to Phoenix.

So how in the world can the Panthers compete come October? Florida is going to come out next season with a very different style; one reminiscent to the Western Conference. With a strong defensive core anchored by Bryan Allen, a product of a Western Canadian team, and now joined by two more western players, Florida should have the top defense in the division, and one of the best in the conference. The Panthers already have the best goaltender in the division, and it is clear the Panthers are building from the net, outwards.

While the Hurricanes will try to get by with Joe Corvo and Tim Gleason, Washington will try to contain forwards with Mike Green and Tom Poti. While Atlanta hopes draft pick Zach Bogosian can join Tobias Enstrom, Tampa Bay will keep the scoreboards lit with the 32 year olds Dan Boyle and Filip Kuba leading the way.

The Panthers defense looks so formidable right now, that losing potential stud Jay Bouwmeester would still leave the Cats with three pairings that could shut down any team. So while the Panthers are going to have to bank on young guns Shawn Matthias and Michael Frolik putting up decent numbers, they will bring a physical, Western Conference feeling to games next season.

Yes, we all hope that the Panthers will sign a couple of scoring threats during free agency, but it’s going to be defense first in Florida next season. No more 5-4 games on a nightly basis. Hopefully the Panthers can grind their way to a playoff appearance for the first time since the turn of the century.

Panthers' Draft Day Wraps Up

What began as an optimistic draft day for me has turned into cautious, albeit doubtful hope that we made the right decions in this year's draft. Heading into the draft, we learned we had traded away our leading goal gettter and captain for two stalwart defenseman. OK, makes sense. Our defense has been lacking, at best, for the better part of 3 seasons. We needed a change. But knowing this, you would think the actual draft would bring in some new scoring talent to replace the kids we will have to bring up next season (Matthias and Frolik).

Instead, the Panthers drafted a goaltender (#31 overall Jacob Markstrom), 3 defensemen (#46 Colby Robak, #80 Adam Comrie, #190 Matthew Bartkowski), and 1 winger (#100 A.J. Janks). No centers, no offensive threats that will develop in Rochester. Our new netminder, Swedish phenom Jacob Markstrom, will spend the next 2 seasons in the Swedish Elite League, where he's played the last 2 seasons. He will be a #1 goaltender in the NHL in sooner rather than later. The lone forward we drafted came with our 4th pick in the draft. Janks actually sounds like a promising prospect. He played in the Ontario Hockey League last year with the Plymouth Whalers, where he tallied 26 goals-29 assists-55 points playing in 66 games. In the All-Star skills competition, he registered the 2nd hardest shot at 94 mph. He also played for Team USA's U-18 team at the international Hlinka tournament.

The best things that can be said about Janks comes from his coach in Plymouth. "He’s got good size and probably has one of the best shots in the league, from a wrist shot or snap-shot perspective. He needs to work on his lateral movement and stops and starts, but that will come with experience."

Now if only we had drafted another one (or two) of these types instead of 3 more defenseman that likely will spend most of their Panthers career struggling to make the roster. While draftees Rob Belak and Adam Comrie sound like they could become NHL defensemen, they probably will stay in the minors for awhile. I mean we just traded for 2 starting blueliners, why draft 3 more?

So here's what I'm thinking. Our depth at the forward position is all youth. With that much youth on our NHL team, you would think we'd be set for at least a couple seasons with the talent we have. Our affiliate in Rochester may suffer to score goals, but let's face it, who cares? At defense, our youth is a little more suspect. Beyond Bouwmeester, there isn't much in the way of prospects on the blueline. Now there are. Maybe JM knows something we don't, maybe they have something brewing in the free agency. Until the market opens up, we'll just have to sit on our hands and try to digest today's events.

Olli Speaks

Apologies for flooding the board with Panthers stories, but beyond NBA draft rumors and Jason Taylor rumors and the dog days of Summer with the Marlins, there isn't much going on.

Sun-sentinel.com posted a conversation with former Panther Olli Jokinen. A few things caught my eye. First, Jacques Martin called Olli himself to break the news, and the conversation was, as to be expected, "very short." But what wasn't expected was what Jokinen said about his 8 years in South Florida; "I was lucky enough to stay here for eight years — that's a long time. I would have liked to stay, but as a player, too, how long can you take it? Since Mike [Keenan] left — I think he was the guy who really wanted me here — so when he was gone, at that time I thought, 'It's just a matter of time before I'll have to leave.'"

Mike Keenan left 4 years ago. Now I know the relationship between Jokinen and Martin was strained, but has Olli really been waiting to leave since 2004? At times, he's played like it. He only scored 5 goals after February 10 (the final 24 games) last season, during the heat of the playoff push. Maybe his part in the Zednik accident had something to do with that... maybe it didn't.

When asked about reports that he had asked to be traded: "I was saying if they really want to get rid of me, I'm not going to say, 'I want to stay, I want to stay.... It's his [Martin's] team now so [Martin] can do whatever he wants."

Bitter much? To Olli's defense, the past month has been filled with talks about trading him. I can see how that might get under one's skin. He even had to find out about Panthers' new coach Pete DeBoer through the team's PR guy. If that isn't a bad sign, I don't know what is. But in the big picture, it was his play that packed his bags. A major dropoff in production from the '06-'07 season and a disappointing stretch run gave Martin all the reasons he needed to look elsewhere.


Read the full conversation with the Sun-Sentinal here

And the Panthers Pick...

With the first pick in the 2nd round, the Florida Panthers select goaltender Jacob Markstrom, from the Swedish Elite League. The 6 foot 3 inch, 18 year old is ranked #1 among European goalies, and led Sweden's U-18 team to a gold medal in the 2007 Ivan Hlinka Memorial. He beat Sweden in the final, and even denied #1 overall draft pick Steve Stamkos in overtime. Said Scott Luce, the Panthers' director of amateur scouting, "We got a guy projected as a franchise elite, No. 1 goalie... For him to slip to No. 31? It’s a good day for us."

Then, the Panthers traded their newly acquired 49th pick plus a 4th round pick in next year's draft to Nashville, and in return moved up to the #46 spot. The Cats used that pick to select defenseman Colby Robak. Robak, who was ranked #13 by Central Scouting, goes 6'3", 195 lbs, and spent last season in the Western Hockey League. Playing for the Brandon Wheat Kings, he played in 71 games and scored 30 points (6 goals).


It looks like the Panthers are gung-ho on solidfying their blueline. With plenty of young talent up front, with the likes of Frolik, Matthias, Booth, Weiss, Horton... the Cats are shoring up the goal stoppers as opposed to the goal scorers. We'll see how much of a chance Robak actually has to make the roster, considering the trades we made yesterday. The 'tender, however, sounds like a sure-fire backup plan to Vokoun in the coming seasons. With the success of Marc Andre Fleury in Pittsburgh (and even Ty Conklin backing him up), young netminders are definately moving up in the world. Markstrom even went 2-0 against Ol' Eddie Belfour in the Swedish Elite League last year. That's gotta be a good sign, right?

As of now, we don't pick again until #80, but moves are being made left and right, so stay tuned.

One Last Note Before the Panthers Actually Make a Draft Pick

Check out interviews with Martin and newest Cat Keith Ballard here

Some pretty interesting stuff from Jacques regarding filling needs at defense and addressing the lack of a veteran center.

A Calmer Look at Jokinen Trade

It's finally happened, and it appears that Florida Panthers captain Olli Jokinen is headed west, to play for the Great One himself and the Phoenix Coyotes. In return, the Panthers received defensemen Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton, as well as the Coyotes 2nd round pick, 49th overall.

Jokinen holds many franchise records, including most goals (188), assists (231), points (419), and is 2nd in games played (567) to Robert Svehla (573). Olli has also captained for the past four seasons. During those 4 seasons, the Panthers finished 11th, 12th, 11th, and 12th in the Eastern Conference, and never higher than 3rd in the division. Jokinen also holds the dubious distinction of playing in 723 regular season games and 0 playoff games. That's 2nd all time in games played with out a postseason appearance (to Panthers assistant coach Guy Charron, none-the-less).

While Olli led the Cats on the score sheet, he's failed to lead them anywhere past that. It's not as though the Panthers, who have missed the playoffs every year since 2000, are scratching and fighting their way to the end of the season, pushing through for every point and coming up just short. They haven't even finished higher than 11th in the conference since that last playoff year.

So Olli's out, let's look at the 2 new guys coming. There were rumors flying everywhere about who the Panthers would receive for their captain. In the end, it was Wayne Gretzky and his Phoenix Coyotes who made the trade. They send defensemen Nick Boynton and Keith Ballard to the Cats, plus a 2nd round pick in tonight's draft (49th overall). Both Boynton and Ballard are former first round draft picks, and should be an immediate improvement to the Panthers blueline. Boynton, 29, will be entering his 6th season in the NHL. In his 437 career NHL games, he has 180 points and is +8. Ballard, 25, is going into his 4th year in the NHL. He most recently represented Team USA in the IIHF World Championships.

These 2, plus the draft choice TBA, are clearly not meant to fill the scoring void that will be left by Olli. Instead, this looks like a move to change the unfortunate trend of giving up 40+ shots a game that has crept into the Panthers style of play over the last few seasons. It appears as though GM Jacques Martin and new coach Pete DeBoer are confident in handing the scoring over to the teams' young core of players, such as 20+ goal scorers, 23 year olds David Booth and Nathan Horton, as well as a good mesh of veteran talent that missed much of last year with injuries. Brett McLean, Richard Zednik, and Rostislav Olesz all missed at least 15 games last season on the DL.

One last thing to consider is the money this should free up for the Panthers. With the new, post-lockout NHL, there is a salary cap. There are unrestricted free agents out there, many of whom have lit the lamp frequently. Is there a big name to be signed come August? We'll just have to wait and see. The Panthers now have 5 picks in this year's draft, it will be interesting to see who they will be, and the impact they may have on this team in the coming season(s). Stay tuned for draft pick prognostication.

JOKINEN GONE, I HATE THIS TEAM HORRIBLE TRADE

JOKINEN TO PHOENIX FOR BUMS! AND A 49TH PICK


I GIVE UP WITH THIS ORGANIZATION


F THEM!

Keith Ballard D
Nick Boynton D

49th pick

Thats what the Panthers got for their captian. Niether are puck moving D men and they did not get a 1st round pick. This team is heading in no direction. It looks like they rushed this when they didnt have to do a thing with Jokinen. HORRIBLE TRADE, WORST TRADE IN TEAM HISTORY, I DIDNT THINK THAT WAS POSSIBLE AFTER THE LUONGO DEAL. F ALREADY IN THIS YEARS DRAFT.


MOVE THIS TEAM OUT OF SOUTH FLORIDA FIRE JM. THIS WAS A HORRIBLE MOVE. GOOD LUCK SCORING GOALS THIS YEAR! THERE WILL NOT BE MANY WITHOUT THE CAPTIAN!



BTW I CALLED IT! SEE DOOMSDAY THREAD!

Latest Jokinen Rumor

MIAMI HERALD/SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL: both reports Panthers GM Jacques Martin could be shopping Olli Jokinen for players and a first round draft pick. The Panthers dealt away their first round pick in this year’s draft in acquiring Tomas Vokoun from the Predators last June. Rumors persist Jokinen might be dealt in the hours leading up to the first round.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Teams are interested in Jokinen but the asking price is said to be expensive and that could kill off that interest or at least limit the number of teams willing to deal for him.


Today is def the day Jokinen is gone. It's sad but lets hope we get something good in return for once.

BTW, the big rumor is Jokinen to the Flames for their 1st (17th overall) and Tanguay. To be honest, that might be a worse trade than the Luongo trade. Tang is a UFA after next year so probably he would be here for only one year and bounce.

The Real Picture

As Panther fans from all over South Florida wonder what will become of Olli Jokinen, new head coach Peter DeBoer, and the 2008-09 season, a larger problem once again looms.

TheStar.com, a Toronto based news website is reporting, "The union also agreed to form a committee to decide whether to opt out of its labour agreement next summer, two years before it's due to expire."

This means that the NHL may be stupid enough to be heading towards another lockout as soon as the 2009-10 season. It goes without saying that if this happens, the NHL is finished for good.

The truth is no matter how the Panthers do, I still love hockey. I go to between 20 and 30 games a season at the BankAtlantic Center, and it's the source of many dates for myself as well as outings with friends. The thought of hockey disappearing again is really more than I can take.

My ultimate goal in the next few years of my life is to make hockey popular again in South Florida. I hope to turn my internship with ESPN Radio into an eventual chance to get a show, in which my goal would be to start the first all NHL show in South Florida radio. I know it's a long shot, but I feel I can be the driving force behind a revitalization in hockey awareness in South Florida. The only hitch? Hockey needs to be around for me to have any chance of this.

If the Panthers miss the playoffs again next season I will be upset, but not as upset as I would be if the ice never freezes again for the following season.

LOL at this NHL Mock PANTHERS

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/16676-The-Hockey-News-2008-Mock-Draft.html

Vancouver trades the pick and Ryan Kesler to Florida for Olli Jokinen. Vancouver gets the offensive player it so desperately needs and Florida gets another young and promising player in Kyle “South” Beach. Beach has drawn comparisons to Owen Nolan, both in a positive and negative way.