Bouwmeester free agency scramble: MSMs going beyond just another UFA
by Donny Rivette on Jun 14, 2009 9:43 PM EDT
13 comments
From Jeff Gordon of STLToday:
With the Panthers in ownership/management flux, Jay Bouwmeester is glad he decided to test free agency. Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver are all interested – so much so that teams are trying to acquire negotiating rights to him.
Bouwmeester is "glad" he chose free agency over negotiations with the Panthers. Because of ownership issues. That's his only reason for high-tailing it out of town, right? Somehow he's been swayed by the newbies? Was this a quote, or simply an expectation? Coming from a newspaper in a city which lost Chris Pronger to free agency a number of years ago, it's hard to distinguish.
Ownership was never brought into the equation - at least publicly - until now. The team is not going to relocate, the city of Sunrise is firmly behind the hockey organization.
I'm only focusing on the "glad he decided to test free agency" bit. The potential ownership change has every bearing on this move by the in-demand defenseman. Is that correct? Like he was going to stay before all of this went down?
Note to the MSM'ers: Don't trump it up by lumping Jay's situation as being affected by a transistion in ownership. He was out of here no matter what.
"Sexing it up" by implying the uncertainties of a change in the Florida owner's box is transparent in an attempt to lure viewers to a certain site. The team will be sold. So what? Jay made up his mind twelve months ago.
If he feels no future connection to his current teammates, no positive vibe from the unofficial rookie-coach-of-the-year, or an escape from having the ability to venture out anonymously in public, so be it. He's no question earned it. The collective bargaining agreement says so. He's done his time.
There is no animosity toward Jay, nor his ambitions, on this site.
We at The Box are simply repeating - and providing links to - fascinating areas of the internet which Panthers fans may find an interest in.
When someone in the mainstream media reports Jay is "glad" he chose to leave Sunrise, it's an area of interest. We're painfully aware of it, but interested nonetheless. "Glad" is an emotional response to a situation. If he is indeed happy to leave - and saying so - Panthers fans are entitled to hear it.
Chalking his enthusiasm for leaving up to a spur-of-the-moment decision based upon the potential sale of the team is irresponsible at best, and a blatant website hit-grab as "UFA Day" approaches.
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I will be happy when this little drama is finally played out. I think it was a distraction most of last year – no matter what anyone said.
by Johnny B on Jun 14, 2009 10:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
If the Panthers are looking for draft picks I’m pretty sure the drama will be over come June 26th. Else add 1 week to that figure.
by coasterg on Jun 15, 2009 10:17 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Correction:
Pronger left St. Louis via trade, not free agency. That deal was actually mandated due to a then-pending change in ownership.
The whopping return: Eric Brewer, Jeff Woywitka, Doug Lynch. YEAH!
"Sweet Zarley Zalapski, Batman!"
by ZarleyZalapski on Jun 15, 2009 1:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Good grab, Z-man.
The years between Prongs leaving Hartford for Shanny through the End of Days in Edmonton are a bit of a blur…
by Donny Rivette on Jun 15, 2009 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I will also be happy when Bouw finds new digs. Some folks up in Calgary have been insisting for months that Jay is dying to high tail it to Cowtown. Rumor has it he’s building a house there and that his girlfriend is there too. The constant obsessing over that has made my favorite website up there difficult to visit sometimes….though I do love those folks dearly. Best of luck Bouw we’ll miss ya. But we won’t miss the melodrama.
by sydarm on Jun 15, 2009 2:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
On missing the melodrama: No. We. Won’t. It’s turned into a complete sideshow, though somewhat expected.
by Donny Rivette on Jun 15, 2009 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Interesting
that you get bent out of shape in Gordon’s reporting of Bouwmeester being glad to get out of South Florida because of ownership unrest and then say this, “Coming from a newspaper in a city which lost Chris Pronger to free agency…” The truth is that Pronger was traded to Edmonton due to the Blues being put up for sale
by brutch on Jun 15, 2009 5:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
But the pending has NO bearing on sale Bouwmeester leaving . The sale is not just about the team, but the impending growth around the arena. There’s a BIG difference. Bouw hasn’t wanted to stay down here long before any of this sale issue came up.
by CLG_74 on Jun 15, 2009 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Indeed, we had covered the free agency/traded thing a couple of rungs up the ladder. My mistake.
Nothing bent out of shape here…simply awaiting the climax of a terribly drawn out storyline which hopefully will find itself resolved in the next week.
When mainstreamers begin to add words such as “glad” without a disclaimer the entire situation begins to reveal itself as out of control. Was it a quote, an opinion guessed at by the writer, or nothing more than a reporter juicing the story?
by Donny Rivette on Jun 15, 2009 6:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I’d take option C: reporter juicing the story.
Lately its all about the juice and not so much about the facts or even reasonable guessing.
No doubt that the Bouwmeester situation is a soap opera, we’ve just been lucky enough that the actual participants have been rather close mouthed about the whole thing and aren’t letting it play in the media. The media, especially the Canadian media, are having a field day with nothing to back it up.
by coasterg on Jun 15, 2009 9:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No question, we (fans) have been “ground zero”. But it’s coming to an end. Thankfully.
by Donny Rivette on Jun 15, 2009 10:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Jay-Bo
I think the more interesting discussion at this point is not Jay-Bo leaving, but what team is going to trade for his “rights”, pony up 7-8MM per season to sign him and find out that the only thing he really does is destroy their cap.
by HockeyOutsiders on Jun 16, 2009 1:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
True, that. As others have pointed out, Jay is the third best defenseman for the Panthers. Yes, we’ll lose his minute-munching and his offensive output, but we’ll also lose his tendency for lazy play in the middle of games and his tendency to make big mistakes late in close games. Many of the losses late last season can be attributed to Jay’s mistakes. He was underwhelming after the trade deadline, and I’m not quite sure why DeBoer kept playing him.
I’m hoping that Eminger will pick up some of Jay’s offense when he’s gone, but the minutes will have to be spread out between all three pairings.
by Johnny B on Jun 19, 2009 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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