Panther Pride

One week before the NHL Trade Deadline I was on the radio with my Co-host Wych and our NHL Insider Stevie P and I said that the Panthers should trade Jay Bouwmeester. Both Wych and Stevie P said this was stupid. I suggested that they trade him since he was going to become a free agent at the end of the season and Florida wasn't going to make the playoffs. They argued that if they traded him they wouldn't make the playoffs so they might as well keep him.

Well look who was right in the end...ME.

The Florida Panthers missed the playoffs for the 9th straight season and now their best player is going to leave and they will get nothing in return. They have significantly weakened their team and all because they wanted to have 2 playoff home games.

How brutal of a team is this? This kind of thing is like business 101. You do not allow your best assets to leave the company for 0 compensation. You need to ensure that you get something and I mean anything because in the end something is better than nothing.

Now one of the arguments used by Stevie P and Wych aka Dumb and Dumber was that it would be selling out your fans to trade Bouwmeester. Moron argument as fans are more disappointed in missing the playoffs and in Bouwmeester's case it was well documented he wasn't going to resign in Florida so by trading him you show your fans that you are going to have a team filled with players that want to be Panthers.

I think that fans are smarter than most GMs think and that if you simply tell them the situation that they will understand. For instance if the Raptors decide to trade Chris Bosh this year I won't be mad because I know that he wanted to sign with a different team and wanted more money. I am ok with that. I am not ok with them letting him walk into free agency in 2010 however. You need to be get something for your top guys.

In the case of Bouwmeester there was a solid offer on the table. The Canucks offered Kevin Bieksa, Mason Raymond, and a 1st round draft pick. Bieksa had 1 more point than Bouwmeester in 10 less games, Raymond is a solid 3rd or 4th line player (hell in Florida he could play 2nd line) and a 1st round pick is a 1st round pick. Tell me how you turn this deal down? What was the thought process behind this rejection?

"Nope instead of getting decent players and a 1st rounder back let's just keep him and let him walk away for nothing at the end of the year when we miss the playoffs. I think Nathan Horton as your best player is a step in the right direction."

Yes I am a Canucks fan so my opinion might be a little bias but seriously what hockey fan can look at that trade, knowing the situation, and turn it down? Makes no sense to me whatsoever.

Bouwmeester is a top 10 defenseman in the NHL and will more than likely be on the 2010 Canadian Olympic team. He is the current ironman leader in the NHL and at 25 is only going to get better. He is a player that every team in the league wants but if he tells you he doesn't want to resign with you then there is no choice but to trade him.

Florida has clearly shown in the past that they understand this situation as they traded Roberto Luongo once he made it clear he wouldn't resign.

I don't know what was so different with Bouwmeester. All I know is that it is moves like this that keep the Panthers out of the playoffs every year.


Random Youtube Video