Florida Panthers have to decide who stays and who goes

With 10 free and unrestricted free agents on roster, GM Tallon must continue to shape team before July 1

May 8, 2012|By Harvey Fialkov, Sun Sentinel

After successfully overhauling a conference bottom-feeding roster last summer into a division champion, Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon is now at the all-important tweaking stage.

But before the master wheeler and dealer utilizes his current $8.8 million in salary-cap funds to sign a few more free agents when the July 1 deadline arrives, Tallon and assistant GM Mike Santos must decide on which of his own 10 free agents (6 unrestricted and 4 restricted) to re-up or dump.

The Panthers must extend a "qualifying offer'' to their restricted free agents by June 25. If not, they would become unrestricted.

Tallon said he will need roster spots for a few of his young phenoms in juniors and the minors, such as possibly forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Quinton Howden, defensemen Alex Petrovic and Colby Robak as well as goalie Jacob Markstrom.

"We have some great assets coming,'' Tallon said. "This is when it gets exciting. We can add pieces, our own products that we drafted and developed over the last couple of years. … If we can be successful in free agency as well, then the future looks very bright for us.''

Tallon and coach Kevin Dineen have both made it clear that of those 10 players with expiring contracts, their priority signings are forward Kris Versteeg, defenseman Jason Garrison and possibly veteran forward Mikael Samuelsson.

Who stays and who goes?

Unrestricted free agents

Mikael Samuelsson, RW, 35 next season, $2.5 million expiring salary

Once healthy, became an integral part of power-play success and team's most consistent line down the stretch with 33 points in 55 games, including playoffs. A physical specimen with Stanley Cup pedigree would be perfect mentor for phenoms on the way.

Marco Sturm, LW, 34, $2.225 millon

A concussion limited his production (5 points in 42 games) and although a heady player with penalty-kill skills, the Panthers will need his roster spot for younger talent.

Jason Garrison, D, 27, $700,000

A late-blooming, solid two-way defenseman whose warp-speed slap shot ignited the Panthers seventh-ranked power play with nine of his career-high 16 goals.

Krys Barch, RW, 32, $850,000

An excellent midseason addition who added much-needed toughness to the fourth line to serve as protection to frail skilled forwards. Also displayed surprising puck-possessions skills. Tough call.

Scott Clemmensen, G, 35, $1.5 million

Perfect backup coming off second-best season of career while proving he can carry a team on a short-term basis. However, the net may be too crowded with Jose Theodore signed for one more year and Markstrom ready for the show.

John Madden, C, 39, $600,000

Once he got in game-shape proved his value on the penalty kill and in the faceoff circle, however, the Panthers added a bigger, younger version in Jerred Smithson, so it's unlikely he will return.

Restricted free agents

Dmitry Kulikov; D, 21, $900,000

Despite missing 24 games due to a knee injury notched career-high 28 points. Needs to clean up careless turnovers but his upside is too stratospheric not to tie up to long-term deal.

Keaton Ellerby, D, 23, $787,500

Proved he's an NHL-caliber blue-liner when filling in for Ed Jovanovski; however, with Robak and Petrovic on the horizon, he may have to blossom elsewhere.

Kris Versteeg, RW, 26, $3.083 million

Was on way to 40 goals before hip injury slowed him; just scratching the surface of exciting offensive potential with career-best 23-goal, 54-point season.

Wotjek Wolski, RW, 26, $4 million

Acquired for extraordinary shootout skills and it paid off; while he has offensive skills the Panthers sorely lack his defensive indifference had him in Dineen's doghouse.