This did not quite come out of nowhere. You get that impression from Brent Sutter but I refuse to believe it. The bottom line is the New Jersey Devils came up short pretty much since Game 1. Even when they won…you were left with the feeling that it could fall apart. Tonight it did. Two strategic mistakes in the final seconds led to two goals by Carolina. Just like that, the Devils went from winning to OT to regulation Game 7 loss in one of the most cruelest ways imaginable.

However, the reality is the Devils were not good enough. Guys like Niklas Havelid, Colin White, etc…etc. are not defensemen you want to hang your hat on. There is a reason why this team had to score a ton in the regular season. These guys are just NOT GOOD! I will say it once and I will say it again. Look back to Game 5 when they just BARELY held on to a 1-0 win against Carolina. The defense sat back and let Carolina do whatever it wanted to. That is not acceptable and nor will it ever be acceptable!

People are going to second guess Martin Brodeur again and say he cannot win the big game. That is also nonsense! What simply happened is this team got caught with the deer in headlights look. Instead of recovering like a good team would when they got scored on…they let something happen that was even more improbable and that was give up a series winner in regulation. One cannot fault Brodeur for what happened there. The defensive breakdowns were many like they were all series. What happened was they kind of got lost in the shuffle until the most crucial moment of the season.

Again this team is too built for the regular season and not enough for the postseason. One line and a grizzled vet showed up tonight (Brendan Shanahan had 2 assists). There are going to need to be some pretty drastic changes. The first starts at defense. Because that is the main core of where the problems lie in Jersey!

First off…whatever it takes to make Colin White go away….do it! Colin has been a nice player for NJ for a long while but hey this is a business and its time to get better. There are guys like Steve Montador and Jay Bouwmeester who will be UFA’s among others. Throw a line out there….buy out White if you have to but this team needs a major overhaul on D. I can live with Bryce Salvador to a point but if by some miracle Jay-Bo does come to New Jersey…then its time to ship out Paul Martin as well. Cut the salary and send him to Minnesota. After that, make sure Mr. Havelid has a nice long walk off a short pier and bring up Matt Corrente from Lowell. Surely this will not fix all the problem on the Devils’ blueline but hey it is a start.

Next up…Rolston, Elias, and Gionta are not too bad together but Patrik Elias has to learn to SCORE in the playoffs again. It seemed Elias missed several glorious chances in this series that he normally would not miss. Patrik had a bad series…it is okay to say it. You cannot miss wide open nets like Elias did in this series if you want to be considered an elite player again. Until he lights the lamp enough when it counts…Patrik will just be another regular season performer. Lou Lamoriello will likely mend whatever fences with Brian Gionta and will offer him a deal. Question is will Gionta take it? If not, Lou Lams could go out into the UFA market. At this point….it could not hurt.

The fourth line was not too bad….Rupp and Clarkson were not so good tonight for whatever reason but overall during the season David Clarkson started to make those slow steps to becoming a better NHL player. I think next year he breaks the 20 goal barrier and with some more time on the extra man…he could get close to 25 goals. The duo makes for a nice energy line and hopefully they can find someone in Lowell to make a trio because Bobby Holik likely will not be back. At 2.5 million he is too expensive to have. In the end, the Holik reunion tour did not work.

Now whatever it takes to break up Madden and Pandolfo…..do it! The team is getting older and older and honestly for as hard as these two work….2003 is now 6 years ago. They are beginning to show their age together on the ice. John Madden paired with a younger gritty forward could work. However either Madden or Pandolfo or both may go and I would rather it be Pandolfo. Madden is too valuable on short handed situations still.

If that is not enough…oh believe me there is much more. It is now apparent and needed to take a deeper look at this farm system. When you are ranked at the bottom of the prospect heap…worse than teams like Colorado….its time to take a second look. I will never figure out why John Carlson was not taken over Mr. Tedenby. Everyone has seen what Carlson did with London of the OHL this year. Time to see where scouting can be improved because that once vaunted Devils scouting has slipped several rungs in the past few years.

Do a system’s check. Its like taking a car out and giving it a full tune-up after say 50,000 miles. The Devils are now six years removed from a Stanley Cup and for most fans and franchises…that would be a great thing. However for this fan…it is not! It really is time to take a look at all parts of this organization. Is Brent Sutter really the right coach for this team? Could John MacLean be replaced for a more NHL savvy assistant? From goaltending coaches to personnel…..this checkup needs to be done and done quickly. The draft is coming up in late June and July 1st is the free agent frenzy.

Can the Devils learn something from this? Yes they can but only if they really take a deep look in the mirror and realize what they have become is not the team they envisioned at the start of the 2008-2009 season. Ultimately that divergence led to their eventual and sudden downfall.

Devils GM Lou Lamoriello is rumored to be shopping Brian Gionta to shed some salary to add a veteran top four defenseman. Gionta, who is making $4 Million, is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season end and could be the most valued trade commodity for the Devils.

The veteran forwards productivity has continued to decline since his 48 goal season in 2005-2006. This season, while playing on a line with Patrick Elias and Dainius Zubrus he has netted 11 goals and 30 assists but only has 2 goals in the last 14 games. 

The addition of Brendan Shanahan has given the Devils some scoring depth upfront and the freedom to move a forward via a trade. The Devils have also been shopping forwards Jay Pandolfo and John Madden, both who earn just under $3 million this season, though Pandolfo has been a healthy scratch the past five games and Madden’s lack of offensive ability make them much less valuable than Gionta.

With several top line defenseman available like Scott Neidermeyer, Chris Pronger, Jay Bouwmeester, Tomas Kaberle, just to name a few, the Devils will need to shed some salary. Currently just sitting under the cap, the Devils will be forced to package a forward, defenseman and draft picks if they are to land one of the high priced veteran defenseman.

Speculation is running ramped about which players will represent Canada. From now until early 2010, there will be numerous amounts of newspapers, articles, blogs and other forms of hockey writing from writer’s to aficionado’s across the country, speculating what the final roster of what the beloved team will be. Whomever they decide, we do know this, there’s certainly no shortage of talent. Players such as; Sidney Crosby, Vincent Lecavalier, Jarome Iginla, Dany Heatley, Dion Phaneuf, Chris Pronger & Mike Green are all locks (barring injury) to make the squad. The management crew certainly does not want to be expeditious in determining the line-up, it would be wise to be very methodical in choosing the players as last Olympics did not fair so well. That being said, there is a myriad of other choices when determining the final roster. Canada has enough talent to send 3 full teams to the 2010 Olympics. However, we do not live in a perfect world and management will have to settle for cutting some very good players that deserve to represent their country on the international stage. In the wake of the managers being named, I thought I would offer my two cents on which players have an excellent chance on being selected:

*Joe Sakic & Scott Niedermayer not listed because of career uncertainties

The biggest controversy will be on the situation of goaltenders. Canada is certainly too deep between the pipes. The main question will be; who is more deserving, Roberto Luongo or Martin Brodeur? While Brodeur has the experience, that in itself may be his downfall. There has been talk that he may be showing signs of aging, coupled with his lackluster performance at the last Olympics could prove to management that Luongo is the right man for the job.

With the NHL toying with the idea that this may be the last time they send players to compete for the Olympics, (although I doubt that will be the case) it certainly puts pressure on the players to make a push to represent their country. For all of these players, it will be the first time they will compete for Olympic glory at home in Canada, they will all want a shot to play. Of course injuries and performances of this year and the early part of next year will play a huge role in who ultimately gets to compete in Vancouver. But for now, isn’t it interesting to speculate?

Until next time,

Alex Fineberg

So Martin keeps dodging bullets, which surprisingly, he has done well. Is it me or does everybody jump on the Florida Panthers bashing wagon? Anyone who reads the famous HF Boards knows that the Panthers are the worst thing to happen to the NHL, on par with Gary Bettman. But who takes those posts personally? Almost all of them are off base and just a terrible attempt to act like they know something about a franchise they know nothing about. The point I’m getting at here, is that, people bash senselessly without looking at the whole picture, or the plan in South Florida. It looks bright, I love what Martin is doing here. The Florida Panthers’ defense is the best it has been in ages. Bash Jacques Martin all you want from a coaching stand point, but he doesn’t let others’ opinions bother him when he’s wheeling and dealing with other GMs. No matter how controversial his moves are, he seems quite confident that they are the right ones to make. I like that kind of character in a General Manager. I think he realized that his coaching days were done this past summer, I suppose blowing one goal leads in the third period at most games didn’t really sink in with him. I’m pretty sure Alan Cohen, the Florida Panthers owner, gave Martin an ultimatum. Why wouldn’t he? I’d be sick to my stomach too if I saw how much money I was throwing into a black hole of unprofessional management that this franchise used to have. The point I’m making is, Martin belongs where he does, thus why he signed a contract extension, no longer is he behind the bench, say good bye to those days, pal.

So with Martin in the position that he is in, it’s not looking all that bad, some see this Ballard signing as a precursor to something bigger. Martin has always been mysterious and poker faced when it comes to trade talks or even rumors. McCabe who? Basically the way he went about that whole deal before it went down. Claiming he hasn’t watched him and had no idea where the rumors were coming from. Okay, so maybe sometimes it’s easy to see through, especially when TSN calls it a done deal two weeks prior.

This is why it’s tough to tell what will happen next. Welcome to the Jay Bouwmeester saga, friends. This is just getting started. Keith Ballard signing six years could mean a few things.

One: Martin knows the possibility of signing Jay Bouwmeester is pretty much nonexistent and wanted to lock Ballard up long term to have a credible replacement when or if Bouwmeester leaves (which I believe was the whole point of the Jokinen trade.)

Two: This signing along with the Van Ryn / McCabe trade shows that Martin is committed to winning, and wants Jay Bouwmeester to sign next to be apart of this team for when they make the playoffs. Notice that I said when, not if, but when. I really do think they have the chance.

If Jay Bouwmeester doesn’t sign before the deadline, you can pretty much bank on him not being apart of the squad anymore. If I had to guess, he’d be shipped out for some type of good forward and solid defense man package. I wouldn’t expect a pick or prospect. That’s at the trade deadline anyway.

I’ll tell you what, if the Panthers did only get back a medium or good prospect and a pick, I wouldn’t be surprised at all, after all guys, this is the Florida Panthers, ok chalk it up to Keenan for the incredibly ignorant moves, but Martin isn’t exactly an experienced GM, but I have faith.

If the Panthers come out and play a good first half and sustain at least one good winning streak in the second half (maybe 6 wins in a row? They’ve done it before, quite a few times.) They will have a great chance of making the playoffs.

Honest.

Us Panther fans though, have reason to celebrate, the consensus is that the Florida Panthers have won this trade. I am not any different, I think exactly the same. In fact, it’s been quite some time since the Panthers had won a trade, really, lets not go back to Olli Jokinen which was a debatable trade, but never mind Roberto Luongo. It seems like the Panthers have really only made two good trades, those being, Bryan McCabe and Tomas Vokoun. Other than that, it’s not looking too great.

And with that, McCabe rounds out the Panthers’ top four quite nicely. McCabe, a long with Jay Bouwmeester, Keith Ballard, and Bryan Allen make a formidable top four, not only in the division, but the conference, and heck, even the whole NHL. It’s not hard to see what GM Jacques Martin is doing here, building from the net out. So, our cross state rivals over there in Tampa Bay, stocking up on their offense, we are down south stocking up on defense, it’s like hot and cold. The Panthers’ won’t score a lot of goals, I can say that now. But with that kind of defense and goalie, will they need to?

TSN reports are that the Maple Leafs will send McCabe to Florida along with another player, with at least one player coming back from the Panthers. Not Panthers defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, though. Sportsnet’ Nick Kypreos suggests that the player heading to Toronto is defenseman Mike Van Ryn.

However, McCabe’s agent, Ian Pulver, says that his client hasn’t made a decision on his future yet and the two sides continue to talk about a compromise.

“We continue to talk to the Leafs about whether he is going to remain a Leaf or move to another team. Technically he won’t waive the no-trade until there is a trade and there hasn’t been a trade.”

Pulver notes that McCabe may in fact stay in Toronto.

“Having said that, he may remain a Leaf. There’s a lot of things to discuss.”

Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher appears to support Pulver’s stance, saying that a deal is not imminent.

“(McCabe) hasn’t even said he would accept being traded yet. We’re working on it.”

It’s expected that if the Maple Leafs were to move McCabe, they would do it after September 1st, the day he is to receive a $2 million signing bonus.

McCabe is set to earn $6.15 million (including the $2 million dollar signing bonus) this season, and $4.15 million for the next two seasons remaining on his contract. His salary cap hit will remain at $5.75 million.

Cory Stillman, signed July 1st, was not a bad signing at all, in fact it replenishes about 70 points of Olli Jokinen’s annual 80 or 85. Now full time General Manager Jacques Martin is taking a risk, it’s pretty much written in stone that unless Martin brings in a forward via trade, Shawn Matthias, the Panthers perhaps most valued prospect will make the team out of training camp and center Stillman. I’m not quite sure about this, but in four games last season Matthias scored 2 goals. Not bad at all. Can he do it for 82 games a season against top pairing defense men? Tough call, very tough call.

Peter DeBoer, very solid move on Martin’s part, bring in a coach that can get to these young players, I have a good feeling that he can get the best out of a lazy Nathan Horton, and bring perhaps once highly touted Anthony Stewart, to actually play the game. The Panthers offense would be a lot better if DeBoer got 40 goals out of Nathan Horton who has previously scored over 30. Anthony Stewart also would be tremendous if he put his mind to it. We will see what DeBoer can do there.

Jay Bouwmeester, flat out needs to be signed, bottom line. He needs to be signed, if he’s not, it will be a devastating set back. The only way that can be deemed not devastating is if he is traded for a monstrous return. Bottom line is, trading him shouldn’t be an option unless Bouwmeester has commented to Martin that he would indeed like a trade. Give the man the money he wants, he more than deserves it, through his six years of being a Panther, he has been a complete professional and has done his job each and every night. Kudos to him, if he wants out, grant his wish, I won’t like him any less. Just get a good return for him!

First the update. Habs Inside Out is stating that the new contract that Maxim Lapierre inked with the Habs will pay him $575,000 for 2008-09 and $800,000 for the 2009-10 season for an average of $687,500 a season. Not far from the $700,000 I suggested in a previous article.

Next we have RDS who is reporting that the Kloten Flyers of Switzerland are interested in Corey Locke. Well I guess that this gives an out to Habs General Manager Bob Gainey. If he Locke decides to play for the Flyers of Kloten then that would give the Habs a little more to work with and combine it to what they have all ready. Locke is a good minor league player however at 5′9 and 169 pounds he is a little on the smallish side for the NHL at the centre position.

Next we have un-confirmed reports that the Habs asked about acquiring Brian Campbell when the Marian Hossa deal fell through, and that there is a possibility that they are wondering if he will be available come July 1.

I don’t know why the Habs would pay Campbell 7-$8 million when there are other possibilities available to them if they are looking for a defense-man.

The Miami Herald wrote that soon to be restricted free agent Jay Bouwmeester is noncommittal about his future for the Florida Panthers. Jacques Martin had this to say about the situation,

“There is no progress in contract talks. He wants to win. That’s the issue. He wants to be in the play-offs. We all do.”

Why not try and grab Bouwmeester instead of Campbell. He would be just as good and a little bigger but would not cost as much in salary as Campbell. Unfortunately to get Bouwmeester would mean a trade.

How about RFA Shea Webber of the Nashville Predators? At 6′3″ and 213 pounds with a mean streak, why wouldn’t the Habs offer a little package for him?

Of course this is all speculation as Canadiens GM Bob Gainey stated in an end of season press conference that he will be looking to bolster the forward position. Was that statement a smoke screen? Are the Habs trying to land a D-Man and a forward?

Well one thing is for sure, the Habs are in on a lot of high profile names at the forward position.

The team rebounded well from their meltdown in Tampa Bay a night earlier and played a decent game against the Florida Panthers last night. Florida was simply the more desperate bunch, getting goals from Kamil Kreps, Stephen Weiss, Karlis Skrastins and an empty netter from Brett McLean. New York’s goals were tallied by Bill Guerin and Blake Comeau.

Many fans wondered about the psyche of G Rick Dipietro and whether he would be able to recover from the 8 goal shellacking from the night before. He played reasonably well last night, stoning Nathan Horton on a late-game breakaway. What fans should be more concerned about is the possibility that he may be playing injured. He has been slow to get up after making some saves and his lateral movement across the crease has not been as smooth as it was prior to the All Star game. If Dipietro is indeed hurt, Coach Ted Nolan should not hesitate to shut him down for the rest of this lost season.

The lineup has become a version of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (necessitated by the injury woes) and fans were able to see what the team may have stocked in it’s cupboard for the future. The Bridgeport Kids have looked good in their short time with the big club. Here is a breakdown of some of them from last night’s game:

-Jeff Tambellini: He is playing a grittier style of hockey than he did when he was previously called up. He had a nice hit on Florida’s Jay Bouwmeester and contributed an assist on Guerin’s goal.

-Blake Comeau- He played his finest game as an Islander last night, scoring a power play goal and moving the puck up the ice like a veteran.

-Tim Jackman: He provides energy, hits everything that moves and had a nice breakaway attempt.

Overall, Isles’ supporters can expect the losses to mount up as the season draws to a close with this inexperienced lineup taking the ice each game. However, getting the youngsters used to the pace of the NHL will prove invaluable for next season and beyond.

“It’s probably comparable,” said coach and General Manager Jacques Martin.

Bouwmeester’s agent, Bryon Baltimore, agrees.

“I can’t say we’ve really sat back waiting for anything specific like that to happen,” Baltimore said, “but it did give us some guidelines to where the elite big-minute defensemen are financially.”

Martin says he is “definitely” interested in signing Bouwmeester to a contract extension even if it costs $6.5 million per season.

In fact he hopes to have an agreement in place before he becomes a free agent. Such a move would prevent teams from extending the Panthers’ top blueliner expensive offer sheets.

“We know what we have in Jay,” he said. “We’ve had some good talks with his agent.”

However, there appears to be some disagreement in the way Martin and Baltimore characterize negotiations.

According to Martin talks between he and Baltimore have become “stagnant.” Baltimore doesn’t see it that way.

“When you say ’stagnant,’ that suggests they’ve bogged down, and that’s not the case. Everything has stayed on an even, cordial keel since day one.”

1. Alexander Ovechkin: It’s hard to imagine the Washington Capitals will let their franchise face go under any circumstance, but Ovechkin has already reportedly rejected a deal worth $7.5 million annually and will almost certainly get an offer sheet approaching the maximum $10 million per season if he hits the open market. Ovechkin will be a restricted free agent, so Washington will get the chance to match any bid, but the 22-year-old Russian superstar hasn’t been afraid to complain about the dearth of talent surrounding him in the past. The Caps don’t spend much on payroll to begin with, and if it takes 20 percent of their budget room to get him back, chances are it will create a situation that won’t leave anyone involved happy.

2. Marian Hossa: Hossa, who turns 29 next week, is one of the NHL’s most electrifying players and good for about 40 goals per season when he’s healthy. But he’s also now a $7 million-a-year player who will be expecting a raise and one who doesn’t seem too anxious to get it from the Thrashers. Hossa came to Atlanta from Ottawa in a trade after the lockout, leaving his original organization and one that was a perennial contender. That’s not the case in Atlanta, and although the Thrashers have plenty of available cap room to get him under contract, Hossa seems to be more interested in going somewhere where title hopes are realistic. That means the Thrashers have a tough decision to make by the Feb. 26 trade deadline. They’re on the playoff bubble now, and if they stay in contention, it will be hard to justify moving such a key component. But it won’t be any easier losing him for nothing if he bolts next summer.

3. Brian Campbell: The Sabres got burned last summer, losing Chris Drury and Daniel Briere to free agency because they didn’t extend them when they had a chance early in the season. Buffalo is risking the same fate with defenseman Brian Campbell, one of the league’s best puck movers from the back end and an integral component of the team’s attack. Campbell is only 28 and earns only $1.75 million, so he’s due a big raise, and if the Sabres don’t find a way to get him under contract before July 1, he’ll test the market and certainly get it some place else.

4. Corey Perry: The Ducks lost young forward Dustin Penner to an over-the-top offer sheet from Edmonton last summer and are trying to avoid the same situation this time around with Perry. He’s younger and a better all-around player than Penner and will draw lots of interest if he gets to July 1 without a contract, even if he is a restricted free agent. Anaheim needs to find the cap space to get a deal done, a situation that was complicated when Scott Niedermayer decided last month that he really wasn’t ready to retire. Ducks GM Brian Burke is a shrewd operator and has dumped some salary since then to clear payroll space, but not enough to get a deal done yet with Perry, who is finishing his first three-year NHL contract that pays him less than $650,000 annually.

5. Dion Phaneuf: Few people deliver as much punishment with their hits while putting up the kind of point totals Phaneuf does. He’s only 22 and should spend the next decade or so as a perennial Norris Trophy candidate, which is why the Flames want to lock him up as soon as possible. Easier said than done. Phaneuf is finishing his rookie contract and earning about $785,000 a year, but there should be more than a few teams willing to pay him eight times that if he gets to the market as a restricted free agent. The Flames probably will be able to match any offer sheet, but they already have about $38 million in salary commitments for next season and will have several other roster spots to fill as well.

6. Jay Bouwmeester: The Florida Panthers defenseman got a lot more attention when he was a junior superstar in Canada, but if he’s flying under the radar these days, it’s because of where he is, not because his game has slipped. Bouwmeester is one of the league’s best skaters at any position and an elite defenseman who is stuck on a team that always seems to be going nowhere. There is some very good young talent in Florida, and several of those players have been locked up for long terms, but at 24, Bouwmeester hasn’t seemed to be in a rush to join them. He’s making $2.25 million this season, is a restricted free agent when it’s over and will probably end up equaling or surpassing the highest salary on the Panthers if he stays.

7. Wade Redden: The Senators essentially chose him over Zdeno Chara a couple of years back and more often than not, they seem to have regretted giving him a contract worth $6.5 million a season. The 30-year-old defenseman hasn’t been a bust, but the feeling in Ottawa is that he hasn’t lived up to the elite status of someone being paid the way he is. He’s an unrestricted free agent after the season and has been mentioned in several trade rumors as a result, something that will likely continue until the deadline. Redden has hinted he might be willing to take a hometown discount to re-sign, but it will probably have to be a steep one for the Senators to bite again.

8. Mike Ribeiro: The Montreal native was run out of his hometown when he played with the Canadiens, but he’s been a revelation in Dallas, where he has turned into the team’s most prolific producer over the last two seasons. In fact, he’s in the midst of a career year. That costs teams money, and the Stars will have to come up with a lot more than the $2.8 million they’re paying Ribeiro now to keep him from testing the market as an unrestricted free agent next summer.

9. Shea Weber: There are some folks around the league who would take Weber right now over Dion Phaneuf. They’re both the same age and at the same stage of their careers, but the situation is a lot more tenuous for Nashville even though the new ownership group is officially in place. The Predators have one of the NHL’s lowest payrolls, and while the new owners got a sweetheart lease deal from the city, they haven’t really given an indication of how much money they’re willing to sink into payroll. Nashville lost several key players in a fire sale while the team was on the market and is facing free-agent situations with more than a half dozen players including key young restricted ones like Weber, Ryan Suter and Martin Erat.

10. Jeff Carter: The Philadelphia Flyers’ situation with Carter and R.J. Umberger is similar to that of Nashville’s, only at the other end of the scale. For Philadelphia, the issue isn’t whether it has the money to pay these young and desirable pending restricted free agents but if it has the cap room. The Flyers have already committed nearly $50 million in salaries for next season. Both Carter and Umberger are coming off their first contracts that paid each about $1 million a season. They’re due raises, but the Flyers might not be able to offer either or both enough to keep them from getting poached by someone else.

According to Russo, Walz will announce his retirement from the NHL.

Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun reports that the Pittsburgh Penguins are searching for a new home for forward Mark Recchi.

“We’re trying to accommodate him,” Penguins’ assistant general manager Chuck Fletcher told the Fan 590 yesterday.

The Penguins are currently heading towards a youth movement, and believe that the 40-year-old Recchi no longer fits in their plans.

Still with the Penguins, Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review suggests that while GM Ray Shero may have explored the idea of moving defenseman Darryl Sydor, there may not be too any takers.

Sydor earns $2.5 million this season and next, and at this point in his career he has settled in as a fifth, sixth or seventh defenseman. GMs may not be willing to tie up in salary cap space for a role payer.

Palm Beach Post’s Brian Biggane reports that Florida Panthers GM and head coach Jacques Martin’s main priority is to ink pending restricted free agent defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to a multi-year contract extension.

However, Bouwmeester and his agent, Bryon Baltimore, say they are taking a “reasonably patient approach” to getting a deal done.

“I’m just playing right now,” Bouwmeester said. “I’m in no hurry. It’s awhile yet when it comes down to it.”

The New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and Philadelphia Flyers were each represented by a scout, while the Boston Bruins had two watching the game.

Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports that the Anaheim Ducks are still awaiting a decision from defenseman Scott Niedermayer and unrestricted free agent forward Teemu Selanne on their playing future.

“As far as those two players, they’ve been given an opportunity to make that decision over the course of time, and we’ll live with that decision,” [Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle] said.

Brian Biggane of the Palm Beach Post that the Florida Panthers are continuing their attempts to sign defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to a contract extension before he becomes a UFA in 2009.

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the Toronto Maple Leafs are pondering signing UFA forward Dave Scatchard for depth purposes.

The Devils and Bruins remain interested in UFA defenseman Danny Markov, reports Garrioch. However, it’s believed the blueliner’s asking price of more than $2.5 million per season is scaring them away.

Garrioch also reports that the Ottawa Senators are yet to begin negotiations on a contract extension with pending UFA defenseman Wade Redden. The Senators are said to want to get pending RFA Jason Spezza under contract first before making any offers to Redden. If a deal with Redden isn’t reached by the trade deadline, the Senators may consider putting him on the trade block.

Lastly from Garrioch, he claims that the Flyers placed defenseman Denis Gauthier with the hope of another team claiming him and his $2.1 million salary on re-entry waivers.

The problem is that Bouwmeester has the upper hand in negotiations.

For one thing, Bouwmeester scored 42 points and accumulated a plus-23 rating last season for the Panthers.

Secondly, the 23-year-old will earn $2.25 million this season, considerably less than some of his peers with similar stats will make.

Thirdly, Bouwmeester becomes an RFA next summer, allowing him to accept free agent offer sheets from other teams. Matheson believes that Bouwmeester could command $5 million a season due to his young age and skills on the ice.

And lastly, should Bouwmeester sign a one year deal with the Panthers, he can become an unrestricted free agent in 2009 and can sign elsewhere without any compensation going to the club. When asked about the possibility of testing the free agent market, Bouwmeester said that that was not on his mind.

“That’s down the road,” the soft-spoken Bouwmeester said of his potential unrestricted status in the future.

“I’ve got a couple of years to worry about that.”

However, you can bet that Panthers GM Jacques Martin is having nightmares about that possibility. So it’s no wonder the he is working overtime to get Bouwmeester’s name on a long-term contract.

According to Biggane, the two side have already began negotiating a new deal for Bouwmeester.

Bouwmeester is in the last year of his contract, and could become a restricted free agent if he isn’t signed by July 1st, 2008 and an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2009.

While the Panthers still own his rights after this season, there is the possibility that Bouwmeester could be tempted to sign an outrageous offer sheet (see Dustin Penner) that the club could not match. That is why the Panthers would like to get Bouwmeester under contract sooner, rather than later.