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Back to reality for the Florida Panthers - Torrey, Bouwmeester, Lemaire, and more

Vokoun_medium 
 

Why the sudden, dramatic decrease in price? Perhaps only Randy Sexton knows for sure...

 

Does the NHL Shop know something we don't?
 
Found today... a soon-to-be bargain bin Jay Bouwmeester #4 tee shirt: $21.99. Elsewhere on the same page, another example of the very same tee with Tomas Vokoun's #29. Price? On sale for $9.97. Huh?
 
Are the Panthers planning on truly heroic demand for products bearing the name/number/likeness of surefire UFA walker Bouwmeester over the next week and a half, while current (and presumably future) goaltender Vokoun's product requires more than a 50% discount to move the worthless crap off its dusty shelves?
 
Either the marketing department got it all backward, or perhaps just maybe something's afoot?  
First rule of Panthers fandom: never waste an opportunity to engage in a juicy conspiracy.
UPDATED:  A Panthers season seat holder this evening informed The Litter Box that Tomas Vokoun, originally scheduled for a personal appearance at today's "Cats Cookout" at the BankAtlantic Center, was a no-show (he was the only player on the itinerary).
When asked for a reason why Vokoun was not in attendance, a club representative claimed a "last-minute emergency" had come up, forcing the goaltender to miss the event.
Our best to T-Vo, and Godspeed in putting the emergency to rest.
Still...

 

More after the super-terrific fun-jump...

Star-divide

 

Sunrise Torrey and the Latest Crusade

The Palm Beach Post's Brian Biggane gets into the GM-search arena with a little more insight on Bill Torrey's quest to locate the perfect general manager, made all the more unique in the one demand the team will insist upon: don't even so much as dream about replacing the current coach. We're familiar with all of the names, and a few sure are complimentary of Florida's progress over the past year.

Of course, that's not the end of it. Charley Walters of TwinCities.com is hearing things as well:

 

Insiders say Bill Torrey, the former Islanders and Panthers GM, is heading the GM search for the Panthers and talking quietly with ex-Wild GM Doug Risebrough. A Risebrough hire could be enough to lure ex-Wild coach Jacques Lemaire to the Florida team.

 

Question: Is there any remotely possible way in Hades a Risebrough/Lemaire one-two punch could ever conceivably work within the Peter DeBoer offense-first system?

I'll provide the answer: Not. A. Chance.

 

BOUWMANIA!

It's looking solid as stone that defenseman Jay Bouwmeester will not be returning to Sunrise in a Cats uniform. Denying it was simply silly. The chances of Florida getting whatever may be possible for his rights at the draft? All but a certainty. Bruce (Malkin to the Kings) Garrioch goes even deeper:

 

League sources say the looming unrestricted free agent has already told the Panthers he won't return. Now Florida is pressing hard to trade the blueliner.

"The Panthers just want to get something done," a league executive said yesterday. "They don't want to let him walk away for nothing."

But they also won't take just anything in return. The price for Bouwmeester's rights could be as high as a first-round pick.

 

That's a lot of information up there: Made it clear he's leaving no matter what, the Cats will trade his rights, and there could be a first-rounder involved. Booyah. Draft Night just may be interesting.

 

Rochester Rumblings

Former Americans GM Jody Gage was re-hired for an undetermined position a few weeks ago by the club after unceremoniously dumping him only days earlier. We're still not sure what he'll be doing, but the Rochester organization is glad to have him back in the fold.

The Amerks' (and Panthers prospect) Michael Caruso is profiled in another one of those nifty Our Sports Central question-and-answer deals:

 

Q: What do you enjoy the most about playing in Rochester?

A: I've never played with such a great group of people for teammates. It makes it very enjoyable to come to the rink every day.

 

He'll never be mistaken for Jeremy Roenick, but a nice kid nonetheless.

 

DEAL!

Finally, from the wonderful world of "Eklund" parodies comes this latest gem from "The Rumor Generator", just in time for the draft:

Thornton to Panthers? (e2)

According to my sources within the San Jose Sharks organization, the Florida Panthers are willing to part with RW Radek Dvorak, D Jay Bouwmeester and G Tomas Vokoun to obtain the services of C Joe Thornton. Remember, you heard it here first!

 

Ever thought you were alone in believing Eklund ("the Anonymous Hockey Blogger") might be stretching the truth a bit in his predictions? You're not.

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would you take nylander for bouw? i’m sure someone is willing to force him to agree the trade…

Как же так может быть?

by sleza on Jun 13, 2009 4:58 PM EDT reply actions  

Actually Vokoun was removed from attending the event about 2-3 days prior if you look at the emails the Panthers sent out.

I hope that:
a) good luck with any emergency he’s having and
b) if he’s getting traded we get something worthwhile in return.

by coasterg on Jun 14, 2009 8:48 PM EDT reply actions  

Good call, Coaster.

Heard he was removed a few days ago, though was it publicized that he would not be attending or simply left hanging without explanation? Not in any case am I demanding an explanation, only wondering if he just disappeared from the program.

No other players were there to cover his absence, nor were any planned.

And with you on both counts.

by Donny Rivette on Jun 14, 2009 9:04 PM EDT up reply actions  

Hmm. I only knew about it because Yormark mentioned it in his blog. I’m not a regular visitor to the Panthers site, so if it’s not posted to their Breaking News RSS feed, I don’t see it. You’d think as a new season ticket holder, they’d tell me about stuff like that. Of course, when I was a half-season ticket holder they didn’t tell me about squat (or if they did, the details were wrong; you know, little things like the start time) so I’m not sure what I’m expecting. But, given that they’ve been pushing stories about other teams in the playoffs to their news feed, one might think they would push news about their own events. Apparently not.

There probably aren’t any other players in town right now. Really, would you be here in the summer if you were off work for three months? I’d be somewhere cooler. Maybe New York, or Oregon, or Michigan. Canada…

by Johnny B on Jun 14, 2009 10:32 PM EDT up reply actions  

He just disappeared from the attending list – no mention was made that he wouldn’t be attending. He just dropped from the list.

by coasterg on Jun 15, 2009 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions  

Hmmm I didn’t get any “email” that stated he was not going to be at the cookout. I only noticed that a few days before the cookout that he was no longer mentioned in cookout ad & no disclaimer mentioned the change of plans. When I entered the cookout, a sales rep had a bag of signed Vokoun cards & she stated that something came up last minute. A lot of people were asking about him.

No biggie…..if he isn’t traded then hopefully I can get his signature on my jersey another time :)

by CLG_74 on Jun 14, 2009 10:56 PM EDT up reply actions  

I didn’t say that the Panthers mentioned it, just that he disappeared as a guest on the promotional emails prior to the event.

by coasterg on Jun 15, 2009 10:11 AM EDT up reply actions  

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Southeast Standings

GP W L OTL PT
Washington 82 54 15 13 121
Atlanta 82 35 34 13 83
Carolina 82 35 37 10 80
Tampa Bay 82 34 36 12 80
Florida 82 32 37 13 77

(updated 4.12.2010 at 9:21 AM EDT)

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