Florida Panthers: Jay Bouwmeester?

I , as a Panther fan , unfortunately am seeing Bouwmeester going bye bye. Via a trade. Since I don't think Bo has a lot of confidence in the Panthers hanging on to the Play off spot. Which as a fan kind of irks me. We all support him and have been so close and this time we have a more realistic shot to get there . But The Panthers do deserve something in return for him. If we the fans are going to lose him, we deserve something back that can give us future hope . Not sure which team will pony up enough for him. But it is better to get something then nothing for him. So ends my semi homer rant for the day . lol.

Bouwmeester has shown a reluctance to sign with the Panthers so the only options available to them barring a last minute change of heart from Jay (or ownership....dollars talk) is to either risk riding him into the playoffs and except their fate when he leaves or trade him to team that needs another quality blueliner for their own playoff push. They wont get the premium some think they will for him for several reasons...cap first and foremost is a factor but so is signability beyond this season and the other teams know full well that Florida is risking getting nothing if they dont just find a solid deal. Hard to predict which teams will have both an interest and an ability to fit him under their cap and that part likely wont develop for another couple of weeks while teams sort out where they are both in cap and needs plus the injury factor will surely result in a surprise team entering the mix at some point. Right now I would point to Dallas as a possibility, they have some young chips to offer and have a need at the blueline (but again whether or not they feel they can make a statement in the playoffs assuming they make them will be something worth watching). Ottawa if they feel like blowing up the roster and gambling they can re-up him might be another destination even though they are hopelessly out of the playoffs.

I think most teams would want him and if the panthers don't sign him before the trade deadline, they'll trade him and get a player or two instead of loosing him and getting nothing at the end of the season.

JayBo is going to ask for too much for Florida to try and re sign him, so trade is the only option that I can see happening in the near future.

Florida should be asking for a fair amount in return - especially with them sitting right on the edge for a Playoff spot this season.

I think they will trade him to get some sort of return on their investment.

To the people harping about him wanting SO MUCH money....their is a cap on how much an individual can make as well. ALSO, he said this week-end that it isn't about money, he said that he wants a chance to play in his FIRST play-off game, whether that is with Florida or someone else.........that statement has me thinking that he wants it to be somewhere else where he is assured that opportunity.

I would expect that somewhere else to be Montreal, Vancouver, or perhaps Pittsburgh.....Toronto keeps getting mentioned but they don't meet his criteria.

He will demand a billion dollars, put his pinky to the right of his mough docter Evil style, he won't get it, he will sign with a terrible team in the off season because no good team has enough under the cap to pay his desired salary.

Many are saying that Bob Gainey is looking for a good defenseman, maybe he will try to get him somehow.

Leafs will try.

they're making a mistake if they don't keep him

Don't know, don't care