Florida Panthers

Jay signs…Now what?

Jay Boumeester has been signed to a one year contract at the “eleventh hour” by the Florida Panthers. The deal is reported to be for $4.8 million dollars, and thus probably saves the Panthers about 1 million in salary for this coming season, as Jay was expected to get somewhere around 5.5 million in arbitration.

What does this ultimately mean, and how does this make the situation better. Well for one, by signing before the arbitration deadline, the Panthers now have the ability to negotiate with Jay all season, rather than just after January 1 if he had gone to arbitration. In addition to that if he is traded the team he is traded to also has the same right, therefore making him a bit more marketable for a trade. Also, the 4.8 million contract will be easier to swallow for teams that have a cap problem. Provided he is traded.

Jacques Martin indicated that he is happy that this deal has been completed and will work hard at trying to sign Jay long term and is hoping the Panthers can prove to Jay that things will get better and that he needs to be a part of the turnaround. Martin of course feels confident that a deal can be completed before Jay becomes a UFA after this coming season.

I have some problems with this whole situation myself. First of all Jay was offered significant money, at least 6 million for both a long term deal, as well as a 2 year deal, which he did not take. That concerns me that he doesn’t want to be here. Secondly, why does an organization have to prove to a player that things will turn around and for that player to stay? Why wasn’t this deal signed before it got so close to arbitration? Were the Panthers not able to make a trade that they felt was acceptible? Third, and this is the scary part, let’s say that the Panthers do not improve and have no chance of making the playoffs, what value can they expect back in return at the trade deadline? Look at the Campbell deal last year as an example.
The opinions that are flying around on all of the message boards go from one side to the other, not only about what this means, and how things will be affected, but also, was this or is this worth the hassle? Is this going to be a season long distraction? Will he sign, will he be traded?
How are the negotiations going?

The public relations spin on this from the Panthers will be that Jay took a bit less and is showing us good faith that he is willing to see how things go and consider signing a long term deal in the near future.

I am very curious to see what the outcome of this is going to be. Many people thought that with the number of defensemen the Panthers had, if Jay been traded he could have brought some much needed offense to the club, and possibly a defenseman as well.
It appears that the Panthers are done re-tooling their roster and will count on a couple of rookies to make the club and provide the offense and are expecting breakout years from Horton, Booth, Weiss, and a solid performance from Stillman and a recovery from Zednik.
Sounds like a plan of hope if you ask me.

No matter how this turns out I believe that Uncle Jack’s career as a general manager is on the line. From the standpoint that if Jay is traded at the deadline for a draft pick and a 6 pack of Molson, or if he walks as a UFA, Jacques should consider himself done!

When I look at the eastern conference, I still feel that Panthers aren’t much better than 11th or 12th. They will struggle to score goals, and some players will have a tough time adjusting to the new coach and his disciplinary style after the lack of emotion that’s been behind the bench the last 3 years.

For Jay and all the rest of the Panthers this coming season will be a test.

The question is are they up for the challenge?

Thanks for reading.