Hockeyhead

What a dud of a deadline.  The moves were there, there were 22 trades in total, but boy the quality of them certainly pales in comparison to last year.  After the Calgary Flames snatched up Olli Jokinen it was a steady jog downhill.  A lot of media-types spent the day calling for the Florida Panthers to move their franchise player Jay Bouwmeester, which never really made much sense for the competitive Panthers.

The Panthers currently have a grasp on the 6th playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and are only four points back of Philadelphia for the 4th spot.  Bouwmeester has apparently expressed his frustration with never having made an appearance in the playoffs (I’m surprised Bouwmeester expresses anything), so why deal your best player to another playoff “contender”?  Like it or not, Florida is a contender this season and their defense has been their rock all season.   Throw in the rejuvenated Tomas Vokoun (21-17-3, .927 SV%, 2.42 GAA, and six shutouts) and this team has a back-end that could cause some havoc in a 7-game series.

They might not be a legitimate Cup-contender, but their defensive style and gritty forwards could very easily upset a Washington, Montreal, or Philly team.  Bouwmeester could walk at season’s end, he’s only 25 but he has the seven years of service required to qualify for UFA status.  Florida has a few million dollars coming off the books on July 1st, and a playoff appearance may be enough to entice Bouwmeester to return to the only NHL city he knows for a long-term deal.

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