By Dave Joseph for floridapanthers.com

The Panthers tendered qualifying offers Monday to restricted free agents David Booth, the team’s leading goal scorer last season, and prospect David Brine.

The restricted free agents that were not qualified:

Steve Eminger
Anthony Stewart
Drew Larman
Tanner Glass
Franklin MacDonald
David Shantz

The Panthers also announced forward Brett McLean was placed on unconditional waivers.

Sexton left the door open regarding some of the players not tendered offers, including Eminger, who was acquired for a third-round pick late last season and defenseman Noah Welch.

“It’s not that we’re not bringing him back,” said Sexton of Eminger, who scored one goal in nine games with the Panthers after having 23 points (19 assists) in Tampa. “I talked to his agent today and he has a fairly strong arbitration case and I’m not prepared at this point to put the organization at risk for a significant arbitration award. His agent and I had a great chat. If after July 1 he’d like to come back and chat, we can.”

Glass, who played in 41 games for the Panthers in 2007-08 but remained with the team’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate last season in Rochester, might also return at some point.

When asked if Glass could be welcomed back if a deal could be worked out in the coming weeks, Sexton said, “Absolutely.”

“If we can find a way to have him in the organization, great,” Sexton added. “But we have some stuff that we want to do and see where that takes us first.”

Those things include signing David Booth, who teams could tender an offer sheet to come Wednesday. Sexton said he talked with Booth’s agent Monday and “we’re continuing to talk.” Asked if it was money or length of a contract holding up Booth’s contract, Sexton said contract conversations were confidential between the team and player.

Regarding the Panthers unrestricted free agents, Sexton said the Panthers would welcome back forwards Radek Dvorak and Ville Peltonen and defenseman Karlis Skrastins if contracts could be worked come Wednesday. Sexton said Peltonen and the Panthers had not had a “meeting of the minds” on salary as of yet, and signing Skrastins would depend “if we can get him at the right price and term.”

Sexton said he met with Dvorak’s agent Saturday morning in Montreal before the Entry Draft.

Of the players not tendered offers Monday, MacDonald, Larman and Glass played last year in Rochester. Shantz split his time between Rochester and the East Coast Hockey League. Stewart, drafted by the Panthers in the first-round (25th overall) of the 2003 Draft, had two goals in 59 games last season. In 105 NHL games, Stewart had four goals. 

 

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By Dave Joseph for floridapanthers.com

MONTREAL – The Panthers took another giant step forward here Saturday at the NHL Entry Draft. They resolved the dilemma of Jay Bouwmeester while continuing to stock their system with fast, gritty blue-chip prospects.

The Panthers, who have a history of swinging major deals at the Draft, made noise right from the beginning Saturday morning when they announced they had traded Bouwmeester’s negotiating rights to Calgary for unrestricted free agent defenseman Jordan Leopold and the Flames third-round pick (67th overall).

Panthers assistant GM Randy Sexton called it a “critical day,” ending with the Panthers also drafting six players (all forwards), including 6-2 center Drew Shore in the second round (44th overall), the speedy Josh Birkholz in the third round (through the Bouwmeester deal) and Corban Knight in round five. They join defenseman and first-round pick Dmitry Kulikov.

The Panthers came to the Draft with four picks and left with seven prospects and the riddle of Bouwmeester solved.

"We looked at the Draft this year and really wanted to address our forward depth,” said Scott Luce, the Panthers director of amateur scouting. “Taking Dmitry in the first round really gave us an opportunity to focus on forwards on the second day. I think now we’ve addressed our forward depth, especially up the middle very well. We got a couple guys going away to college who are four, five year prospects. Our last pick, Scotty Timmins, could be a guy who could step in and turn pro this year, so we add a center in the pipeline this year as well as the future.”

Said Sexton: “We got bigger, we got grittier, we got faster. Speed is the name of the game. Guys like Knight, Birkholz and Kulikov…those guys can absolutely, flat-out fly.”

Before the Panthers selected another prospect, however, they made the Bouwmeester deal. Sexton said he shook hands on it with Calgary’s GM Darryl Sutter at approximately 9:30 a.m.

Sexton said the Panthers had “worked very hard over the last two weeks to put together a deal and things were moving quite well. Sexton said he was working with three teams Friday before the Flyers acquired Chris Pronger from Anaheim.

“When the Flyers did the deal for Pronger, it knocked them out of the box,” he said. “We went back last night (to the hotel), regrouped, and put together another game plan. We wanted something of value because of the quality of player (Bouwmeester) is, so we tried hard to get a second-round pick, but no one was willing to pony up. We settled on a third. An unconditional third round is the best to my knowledge anybody ever got for somebody going UFA.”

And the rights to Leopold, a 28-year-old defenseman who started last season in Colorado before being acquired by Calgary at the trade deadline. He played in 83 games and had seven goals and 17 assists. He played only 15 games in 2006-07 due to hernia surgery and a groin injury. He also missed time in 2007-08 with a lacerated leg, hip problem and pneumonia

Leopold is 6-1, 200 pounds, and the 2002 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner as the top U.S., collegiate player. He’s a former teammate of Panther defenseman Keith Ballard at the University of Minnesota and said Saturday afternoon he had played golf Wednesday with Ballard in Minnesota.

“We were kind of laughing if things were to work out, whatever may happen…but, of course, it was joking at the time,” Leopold said. “Now it’s more realistic, but you never know.”

Leopold, who could become an unrestricted free agent by  July 1, said the trade caught him off guard. But he also added; “I have open ears. It’s a new opportunity for me. I’ve never been a free agent before and to be traded right before it…that’s new for me as well.”

Sexton said he was hoping to speak to Leopold’s agent as early as Saturday evening.

“We like Leopold,” he said. “We’re going to try and sign him. I don’t know if we will or not, but we’re going to try. We think he’s a mobile, puck-moving guy who we think is a fine replacement for Jay.

“Jay is a terrific player. We would have loved to sign him. But for anyone who followed our team and Jay Bouwmeester it’s been fairly apparent for at least a season or two what his long-term intentions were. Try as we might, we weren’t able to get something done. We did what we thought was in the best intentions of our franchise.”

As far as the Draft picks:

Shore is a 6-2, 200-pound center who made a name for himself on the United States National Team Development Program with his drive and determination.

"He’s a big right handed centerman off to Denver University next season,” Luce said. “He’s starting to come into his own as a prospect. He had a good under-18 tourney this past April. He needs to work on strength and his battle down low. But he’s a driven guy and wants to be a hockey player. He’s going to a great program in Denver…more than likely he’ll turn pro before he graduates.”

Ranked 28th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, Shore admitted he was a bit disappointed Friday evening when he wasn’t selected in the first round.

“It’s definitely a tough situation,” he said. “But it doesn’t matter where you’re picked, but what you do after that. It motivates me to work harder.”

Birkholz, a 6-1, right winger from Fargo of the United States Hockey League, is a “speed forward who can flat-out fly,” Luce said.

“He’s probably one of the top five skaters  in the Draft from a speed point of view,” Luce added. “He’s going to the University of Minnesota. He might slide in on the top two lines because of his speed on that big rig in the University of Minnesota. He’s a speed winger who can forecheck and has a good shot.”

Birkholz is currently working out at 7:30 a.m., each day at the University of Minnesota with a group of players including Panther defenseman and Minnesota alumni Keith Ballard.

Garrett Wilson, the Panthers fourth-round selection (107th), is a 6-2 left winger who had 35 points in 53 games with Owen Sound. After starting the year with a bang, Wilson was suspended 15 games by the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for slew-footing Kitchener’s Dan Kelly. Although OHL in its ruling was “persuaded” that Wilson was not deliberately attempting to injure Kelly, the play in question resulted in Kelly breaking his ankle.

“I started off the year pretty good, so missing 15 games early was tough to take,” Wilson said. “But I think I came back from it pretty good.”

Wilson’s area of improvement? His skating.

“He brings a lot of grit to the table,” Luce said.

In the fifth-round the Panthers selected Corban Knight (135th), a 6-1 center who led all rookies last year in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) with 72 points (34 goals). He finished eighth overall in scoring in the AJHL and tied for third in playoff goals (10). Knight will attend the University of North Dakota.

Unranked by NHL Central Scouting at the midseason report, Knight shot to 64 in the final rankings. He comes from an Alberta league that has produced Mark Messier, Lanny McDonald and the six Sutter brothers.

The Panthers also got Wade Megan in the fifth round (138th). Megan grew up outside Lake Placid, N.Y., and was interviewed Friday morning by the Panthers. He graduated this spring from South Kent, a boarding school in western Connecticut, and will attend Boston University in the fall. His father, Ron, played hockey at Bowling Green.

“We got a couple guys in the fifth round I really like,” Luce said.

The Panthers ended the day with 19-year-old Scott Timmins in the sixth round (165th). Called a “cerebral player and a good skater,” by Luce, Timmins played for Panther coach Peter DeBoer at Kitchener in 2007-08 before being sent to Windsor last season.

Note:
It was a great day for interim GM Randy Sexton in the sense that his son, Ben, was drafted in the 7th-round (206th overall) by the Boston Bruins. He played the last two seasons for Nepean of the Canadien Junior Hockey League. 


 

By Glenn Odebralski for floridapanthers.com

Starting Saturday with just three picks in the last six rounds, Florida wanted to add more depth to the system. They did just that as they doubled their amount, picking six more players to go along with first-rounder Dmitry Kulikov.

After taking the defensive bluechip, the Cats focused on the forward position, most notably at the pivot position.

Taking center Drew Shore with their second-rounder (44th overall), Florida followed that up with Josh Burkholz (67th) in the third round, using the pick they acquired along with Jordan Leopold from Calgary for Jay Bouwmeester on the right winger.

The Cats then made a trade with the Los Angeles Kings. Florida received a fourth-round pick (107th overall) and fifth-rounder (138th overall) in this year's draft from the Kings in exchange for a 2010 third round pick.

With the 107th pick, the Panthers selected Owen Sound left winger Garrett Wilson. At 6'2 and 200lbs, Wilson was ranked 66th overall by Central Scouting among North American skaters.

"I've never been to Florida," said Wilson about his selection. "I'm really excited about getting a chance."

The Barrie, Ontario native has "size and is a rangy winger who has a good nose for the net" according to Sound head coach Mark Reed.

"His ability to get open and find loose pucks makes him dangerous in that area. Garrett is a solid performer defensively, is positionally strong and has a shown a great ability in all areas to give a second and third effort. He is coachable and is well respected by his teammates. Plays on all special teams. Garrett has a great passion for the game. Garrett needs to continue to work on his strength and improve his stride.”

Possibly affecting his draft status was a slew foot penalty against Dan Kelly of the Kitchener Rangers early in the season that cost him 15 games.

"In the back of my mind I thought it might effect me somehow," said Wilson. "It was definitely hard sitting out 15 games early in the season. I started off pretty good. But I think I came back from it pretty good."
 
"I definitely have to improve on my skating and getting bigger and stronger. It's going to be interesting to try and make the next step."

Using their own pick in the fifth round, the Cats went the center route in selecting Corban Knight with the 135th selection.

Knight, Central Scouting's 64th overall ranked skater (unranked at midseason), led all rookies and finished eighth in the Alberta Junior Hockey League with 72 points (34-38-72) in 61 games. He also finished tied for third in playoff goals (10), despite Okotoks being knocked out in the second round.

"It went really well," said Knight of his rookie season. "I had a good year but a lot of credit goes to the organization."

One of six children, he'll get some very good tutiledge in his next step of training. After spending another year in Okotoks, he'll attend the University of North Dakota.

"When I went down (to North Dakota) in January, I met Derrick Lapointe," said Knight. "It was great meeting him and it's a great school."

Three picks later, with the second pick they received from LA, the Panthers went back to the pivot position, this time selecting Wade Megan.

"I had an interview (with Florida) Friday morning," said Megan. "But I really didn't have any idea where I would go."

Megan, ranked 123 among North-American skaters has put up impressive numbers in two seasons at South Kent School, a boarding school in western Connecticut. In 2006-07, the 6'1" Canton, NY native had 53 points (24 goals) in 34 games. Then this past season he had 63 points (27 goals) in 32 games.

Hockey is in Megan's blood. His dad played hockey at Bowling Green and he grew up in Lake Placid, New York.

"It's a hockey town," he said. "High school hockey was very big there."

Megan is committed to play at Boston University.

Florida used their last pick of the draft (165 overall in the sixth round) on their fourth center of the day, picking Scott Timmins who played for the Memorial Cup champion Windsor Spitfires.

Timmins racked up 73 points (35 goals) in 66 games split between the Kitchener Rangers and Spitfires. He then had 16 points including six goals in 20 games as the Spitfires worked their way through the OHL playoffs and onto the Memorial Cup Championship.

Panthers head coach knows Timmins very well, having coached him during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons in Kitchener.

"He has speed and character and knows how to win back-to-back OHL championships with Kitchener and Windsor," said DeBoer.

By Dave Joseph for floridapanthers.com

MONTREAL  - Drew Shore, a 6-2, 200-pound center who has made a name for himself on the United States National Team Development Program with his drive and determination, was the Panthers second-round selection (44th overall) Saturday here at the Entry Draft.

"He’s a big right handed centerman off to Denver Universirty next season," said Director of Scouting Scott Luce just after selecting Shore. "He’s starting to come into his own as a prospect. He had  a good under-18 tourney this past april. He needs to work on strength and his battle down low. But he’s a driven guy and wants to be a hockey player. He going to to great program in Denver...more than likely he’ll turn pro before he graduates."

"I was really excited to have my name called. It's something I worked hard on for a long time. I'm going to a great city and a great team."
 
Another person who was particulary ecstatic about Shore being drafted by the Panthers was his mother. Sarah Shore is a native Floridian, born in Sarasota.

Shore, ranked 28th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, admitted he was disappointed his name wasn't called Friday evening during the first round.
 
"It was defnitely a disappointing night," he said. "It's definitely a tough situation...you watch the first round on television every year and it's definitely something you work for. But it doesn't matter where you're picked, it's what you do after that. So it motivates me to work harder."
 
Shore agreed with NHL scouts that his game got better last year as the season progressed.
 
"I really didn't have a good first half of the season," Shore said. "It was pretty disappointing for me. I think it was my consistency that I struggled with. I think I have a lot of good tools and I need to put them together on a nighly basis. I think it was attacking every game with the same mentality. It's really easy to get up for tbe big games, but you have to be the same player every night regardless of who you're playing."

A native of Denver, Shore was had 49 points (17 goals) in 62 games this past season for the U.S. National team and tied for first in scoring in international play with 17 points (six goals) in 17 games. Shore also helped Team USA to a gold medal at the 2009 Under-18 IIHF World Championships.

According to Central Scouting’s Jack Barzee, “I think this kid…his upside is so dangerous.”

“I think he always brings his best effort,” he told NHL.com. “I don’t think he leaves anything in the dressing room. His drive and determination are as good as anyone’s playing the game.”

Shore describes himself as an “offensive guy” who likes to “create offense and be a playmaker.”

“I try to emulate Joe Thornton,” he added. “I try to play like him in the sense that we’re both playmakers first. I just like the way he plays the game and his ability to create offense on a nightly basis.”

TIDBITS
• In his second season with the U.S. National Team Development Program, Shore finished tied for third on the team with 32 assists (17-32-49) in 62 games and tied for first with 17 points (6-11-17) in 17 international games.

• Shore helped lead Team USA to a gold medal at the 2009 Under-18 IIHF World Championships, beating Russia 5-0 on home ice.

• There was no family history in hockey for the Shore family before Drew -- his dad played lacrosse in College and his mom played semi-professional tennis – but now he has three younger brothers following his footsteps. He was joined in Ann Arbor this season by his younger brother Nick, who played for the U.S. National Under-17, becoming the first sibling pair to play at the NTDP at the same time. His other brothers, Quentin and Baker also play hockey.

• Nicknamed “Shoresy”, the Denver, Colorado native will return home to attend the University of Denver (WCHA) in the fall of 2009.

• He played on his first hockey team in Littleton, Colorado and his childhood hockey idol was Peter Forsberg while he played for his hometown Avalanche.

• If he could have dinner with any three people he would choose: Lebron James, Sidney Crosby and Michael Phelps – “they all dominate their sport and are great leaders”.

FAVORITES

NHL Team: Colorado Avalanche
NHL Player: Ryan Getzlaf
Shootout move: “Fake shot to backhand”
Goal celebration: “Kane’s point and pump”
Video game: NHL ‘09
Movie: Bourne Ultimatum
TV Show: 24
Actor: Kiefer Sutherland
Website: NHL.com
Book: The Last Lecture
Home Cooked Meal: Teriyaki Chicken
Sport (other than hockey): Lacrosse
Activity away from the rink: Basketball
Place to shop: Buckle
Place to visit: Vail, Colorado

By Dave Joseph for floridapanthers.com

MONTREAL – For Dmitry Kulikov, there’s no going back.

The 6-1, defenseman, selected by the Panthers in the first-round (14th overall) Friday of the Entry Draft here at the Bell Centre, is determined to make it in the NHL…so determined that he left Russia last season to play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in hopes of being drafted and playing in the NHL.

This weekend he took a huge step toward his dream.

“I know where I’m going. I know my dream,” said Kulikov moments after being drafted by the Panthers. “I want to make it here.”

Named Rookie of the Year in the QMJHL after scoring 62 points (12 goals) in 57 games, Kulikov is projected to be an offensive defenseman who can log a ton of minutes and play a physical and finesse game. Kulikov put those numbers up despite some nagging injuries.

“You know, if the team needs you, you have to play through injuries,” he said. “No matter what, you can’t let teammates down.”

Scott Luce, the Panthers director of amateur scouting, calls Kulikov “smart, driven, determined and passionate.”

“He has an upside that’s very, very high,” Luce said. “He brings a lot of very good, above average skills to the table and I think the combination of those skills will allow him to be a significant top four defenseman in the NHL.”

Kulikov, who could have stayed in Russia and played in the KHL, said he will stay in North America. Kulikov could return to Drummondville next season, but several scouts, including Luce, believe Kulikov could find himself in the NHL this fall.

“Kulikov would be a bubble guy to play next season,” Luce said. “He may be able to crack our lineup depending on the organization’s depth at that position. He very much wants to play in the National Hockey League as soon as he can. He’s an offensive defensive with good defensive instincts. He has the green light to go, like to carry the puck and pinch. This player is a driven hockey player.”

Danny Brooks, assistant coach in Drummondville, told NHL.com Kulikov could have made it easy on himself.

“He could’ve made life easy and stayed in Yaroslavl Locomotiv and been a superstar in the KHL,” he said. “But his dream is to play in the NHL and bring his family from Russia to North America….He’s a North American player who happens to have a Russian last name.”

Kulikov, ranked 11th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, is a native of Lipetsk. “It’s a town of about 700,000 people,” said Kulikov of a town which houses one of Russia’s largest steel companies. “They have one hockey rink. Hockey is not that popular there. So I grew up there as a hockey player until I was 11, and then we moved to a different city.”

NHL Central Scouting’s Chris Bordeleau said Kulikov was “an all-around good player” his first season in QMJHL.

“He’s a great skater; he can carry the puck and shoot the puck well,” he added. “He’s strong, too. He can take big hits and they don’t seem to bother him. What we saw this year is likely what we are going to see from Kulikov in the future; he’s going to play the same way in the NHL. He knows when to join the rush, he plays defense first, but recognizes the holes. He can shoot the puck well on the power play and I wouldn’t be surprised if he played in the NHL next year.”

ACCORDING TO SCRIPT

The Draft kicked off with few surprises when the Islanders selected scoring-machine John Tavares with the No. 1 pick, the Lightning took big defenseman Victor Hedman with the No. 2 pick, the Avalanche selected Matt Duchene with the No. 3 pick, and Atlanta went with Evander Kane at No. 4.

NHL Central Scouting had Tavares, Duchene and Kane ranked No. 1, 2 and 3 among North American skaters, respectively, while they had Hedman ranked the No. 1 European skater.

Tavares reiterated his desire to play on Long Island.

“You have the opportunity there to start with a young core of guys and grow into the future,” he said. “There’s a great tradition there to bring the winning tradition back to Long Island. That’s what my goal is.”

NO BO NEWS

Despite several rumors, Jay Bouwmeester wasn’t moved Friday and assistant GM Randy Sexton said before the Draft the Panthers still have time to move the defenseman.

Sexton said Bouwmeester told him what his “criteria” was of teams he wouldn’t mind being moved to. “If we end up doing something, it would make sense moving him to an area, to a team, he’d like to go to,” Sexton added.

Rumors that Philadelphia was a team interested in acquiring Bouwmeester were shot down during the Draft when the Flyers announced they had acquired Chris Pronger from the Anaheim Ducks.

NOTES

Goalie Roberto Luongo announced the Canucks first-round pick (No. 22)…The Islanders didn’t rest with their selection of Tavares. They traded up to 16 with Columbus and then traded that pick and two others to Minnesota for the No. 12 pick. They picked up Calvin de Haan, a defenseman from Oshawa...The host Canadiens chose with the 18th overall selection Louis Leblanc from the U.S. Hockey League…

By Dave Joseph for floridapanthers.com

MONTREAL – Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, who left Russia for Canada to realize his dream of playing in the NHL, took a step closer to that dream Friday evening when the Panthers selected him in the first round (14th overall) of the Entry Draft here at the Bell Centre.

“Smart, determined and passionate,” were the words Scott Luce, the Panthers director of amateur scouting, used to describe Kulikov.

Named Rookie of the Year in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) after scoring 62 points (12 goals) in 57 games, the 6-1, 185-pound Kulikov is projected to be an offensive defenseman who can log a ton of minutes and play a physical and finesse game.

“He has an upside that’s very, very high,” said Panthers director of amateur scouting Scott Luce. “He brings a lot of very good, above average skills to the table and I think the combination of those skills will allow him to be a significant top four defenseman in the NHL.”

In fact, Kulikov is one of a few players coming out of this Draft that could find himself in the NHL next season.

“Kulikov would be a bubble guy to play next season,” Luce said. “He may be able to crack our lineup depending on the organization’s depth at that position. He very much wants to play in the National Hockey League as soon as he can. He’s an offensive defensive with good defensive instincts. He has the green light to go, like to carry the puck and pinch. This player is a driven hockey player.

Kulikov, playing his first year for Drummondville in the QMJHL after leaving Russia, was also named Defensive Rookie of the Year, Best Professional Prospect and Defenseman of the Year. Previously, he helped Russia to a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships, recording four assists.

NHL Central Scouting’s Chris Bordeleau said Kulikov was “an all-around good player” his first season in QMJHL.

“He’s a great skater; he can carry the puck and shoot the puck well,” he added. “He’s strong, too. He can take big hits and they don’t seem to bother him. What we saw this year is likely what we are going to see from Kulikov in the future; he’s going to play the same way in the NHL. He knows when to join the rush, he plays defense first, but recognizes the holes. He can shoot the puck well on the power play and I wouldn’t be surprised if he played in the NHL next year.”

Said Drummondville assistant coach Danny Brooks: “He could’ve made life easy and stayed in Yaroslavl Locomotiv and been a superstar in the KHL. But his dream is to play in the NHL and bring his family from Russia to North America….He’s a North American player who happens to have a Russian last name.”

FAVORITES

NHL Team: Detroit Red Wings
NHL Player: Montreal’s Andrei Markov
Movie: American Pie
Artist: Timati (Russian)
Website: Vkontakte.ru
Book: The Master and Margarita
Pump up song: “Animals Ground” by Nickelback
Sport (other than hockey): Soccer, Basketball
Activity away from the rink: Training
Place to shop: The Mall at St. Bruno, Montreal
Place to visit: Greece