Panthers deal Horton, Campbell to Bruins for Wideman, 2010 15th pick, 2011 3rd rounder
by Donny Rivette on Jun 22, 2010 4:00 PM EDT
in Florida Panthers Transactions
Email
Print
The myriad rumors and buildup were not a surprise, but now that the hammer has dropped on Nathan Horton's time in Sunrise, it's difficult to imagine - due to sheer repetitiveness - the Panthers opening training camp without him. Same could be said for fellow longtimer (and soon to be RFA) Gregory Campbell, who put in the lion's share of six seasons as well. Both were drafted by the organization: Horts in the third overall spot in 2003, while "Soup" was taken in 2002's third round. Remove the lockout season and those two have a combined twelve+ years with the franchise. Oh the stories they could tell...
So it's off to Boston for two of Florida's longest-tenured employees. What's coming back?
Defenseman Dennis Wideman has spent the past 3 1/2 years with the Bruins, having compiled 46 goals, 119 assists, and 165 points over a career split with St. Louis previously. In the first round of this spring's playoffs, Wideman accumulated 8 points (no goals) and a +3 in a seven game losing effort versus Philadelphia.
The key to this deal, of course, was the 15th overall pick in Friday's Entry Draft. Florida now has five picks among the first two rounds, including 3rd, 15th, 33rd, 36th, and 50th. In retrospect, prior to the trade deadline the Cats had two. Phenomenal work by Sexton and Tallon.
Kind of a bittersweet deal. Thrilled about the picks, we'll see what Wideman - with two years remaining on his current deal and a cap hit of $3.938M per - will bring in addition to a heavy salary, and the first round of the Draft just got that much more interesting for Florida fans.
The Horton aspect is really rather simple to summarize: we all had high hopes. As his production grew, so did the expectations. The Jokinen trade dovetailed into a lost season at center. Injuries prevented what could have been a stirring rise from the B-list in 2009-10. Alas, always another convenient reason why he didn't become the power forward he was projected to be. Tallon saw the writing clearly spotlighted on the wall, and did what was best for both parties. And deserved by the fans.
A terrific first move. Now, about that lack of scoring...
Be sure to check out our SB Nation sister ship Stanley Cup of Chowder for the Boston perspective.
44 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
SERIOUSLY, about that lack of scoring?
15th pick for Versteeg?
by HockeyAndLoathing on Jun 22, 2010 4:07 PM EDT reply actions
That’s why that pick is so ridiculously important. That’s the ticket (well, part of one) to any big-time deal.
by Donny Rivette on Jun 22, 2010 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions
obsession with Chicago
Just because Tallon was GM in Chicago doesn’t mean he’s going back to them.
There are better options available than trade No15 to the Blackhawks for Versteeg helping them out of their cap mess and making sure they get better
I agree. If you’re looking to immediately flip that pick you should be looking at Jeff Carter. And I suspect Tallon is. He loves them big centers.
I waited all year for this?
A+
Another first rounder, a veteran blueliner, awesome. Yea, we lost Horton. But lets be honest, who knows what he’s going to bring to the table on a nightly basis. Last year seemed like he started to get it, but he never lived up to the flashes of potential he’s shown.
Think this serves notice to a Bryan Allen? Imagine…
McCabe – Wideman
Ballard – Kulikov
Gudbranson\Fowler – Allen\Garrison
4 guys, 2 spots.
Yea, we lost a top scorer (on paper) from last year. It’s a rebuilding year before the move, now its just obvious. It’s time Repik steps up, Dadonov stops griping and starts sniping. Booth-Weiss-Frolik could turn into a lethal line, Stillman – Matthias – 15th overall pick could be a solid 2nd line. And if not, we’ll be stacking them up with 5 picks in the first 2 rounds, or use some combo of those to turn into a viable #1 center or 2nd line scorer.
Tallon. So far, so good.
Connolly?
Could we be looking at Connolly at No3 and maybe a defenseman like McIlrath at No15.
Many pundits have said if not for the injury he had, Connolly would have been up there competing with Seguin and Hall to be the No1 overall.
I mean he only had 16games last season in the WHL but still grabbed 10 goals.
I still don’t think Booth-Weiss-Frolik is a top line. I think Tallon’s going to build a top line and that’s going to be the basis of a second, assuming Weiss isn’t next to go. Campbell’s trade should put Matthias in as third-line center.
Florida Panthers: Giving the league a punching bag since 2000.
let's look at the future
1) This is McCabe’s final season with a near 6 million cap hit. Maybe Wideman is the guy who will replace him in 2011—Wideman was on the number one power play two years ago. While Wideman was roundly booed in a pressure filled place like Boston—perhaps he will perform better in South Florida. 2) Now we have a 2nd 1st round pick—several options now—take one of our 2nd rounders plus the #15 pick and perhaps move up a few spots to say 11-13, or trade it to one of the teams that need to dump Salary—maybe one of the Blackhawks or Spezza or ? 3) At the #3 spot we can assume the scouting staff knows whether they should take the forward or the stud defenseman or trade out… Whether this trade works out or not—we don’t want a player who does not want to be here.
Spezza sounds like we’d be taking on one more head case in place of another. No thanks.
by Donny Rivette on Jun 22, 2010 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm gonna miss ...
… Campbell. He seemed to always give his all. Horton, not so much, for the same reason.
Obviously we’ll have to wait till friday to determine how good this trade was but here are a few direct observations:
Positives
- Wideman might make McCabe expendable next year (thanks Fan4pan)
- Our D is set
- Amazing draft flexibility
- If we pick a defenseman he wont be rushed like Kulikov
Negatives
- Tallon lost 25 goals and only gained around 200 k in cap space
- Campbell was a great team guy
- Our defense isn’t any better than it was 9 months ago
You will have a love/hate relationship with Wideman. If he is paired with the right guy, he can be an asset (especially offensively), but he is also prone to a lot mistakes defensively. He was everyone’s favorite scapegoat in Boston this year.
by Stanley Cup of Chowder on Jun 22, 2010 6:17 PM EDT reply actions
Sounds like this turned out to be a perfect trade for both parties, based upon that assumption.
by Donny Rivette on Jun 22, 2010 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions
If Wideman can hit 35 points I’ll be happy. Still, the key piece of this deal is not he, but the pick.
by Donny Rivette on Jun 22, 2010 6:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Exactly. Wideman helps patch the hole left by the Leopold trade. There’s still Seideberg to replace.
Florida Panthers: Giving the league a punching bag since 2000.
by John Beatty on Jun 22, 2010 10:03 PM EDT up reply actions
You have to be happy about 5 picks in the top 50.
by Stanley Cup of Chowder on Jun 23, 2010 12:58 AM EDT up reply actions
Keaton Ellerby
Could be about the end of his road in Sunrise:
Ballard
Allen
McCabe
Kulikov
Wideman
Garrison
Getting a bit tight; think that’s the idea?
When did Garrison jump Ellerby? I know people want early picks to star right away but Ellerby is still pretty young. Giving up on him right now would be a mistake, IMO.
I waited all year for this?
Garrison played himself into the lineup – over Ellerby – over the latter portion of the year.
And ask our friends in ROC what their collective opinion of Ellerby happens to be.
by Donny Rivette on Jun 22, 2010 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions
How the hell am I going to talk to someone in ROC!? Fair enough, I honestly haven’t followed him at all. I just know that he was pretty highly touted and this year would normally be the earliest you’d expect to see him. Karl Alzner was the most NHL-ready D prospect that draft year, and he leads all D draftees from that year in games played (I think with more games played than all others combined), and yet he is just looking at his first full NHL season next year.
I waited all year for this?
Ellerby’s not out yet. He’s still young. Remember that Garrison is like three years older than Ellerby. He played himself into the lineup last year and Ellerby’s not quite there. Give him another year in the A and he might be ready to crack the lineup. Or he may end up being good callup material this year as Garrison was last year.
People are impatient sometimes. Especially in this town where there hasn’t been a decent farm system for years.
Florida Panthers: Giving the league a punching bag since 2000.
by John Beatty on Jun 22, 2010 10:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Salary Cap
Did anyone notice the salary cap between Wideman and Horton was nearly the same? I mentioned Spezza in an earlier posting—I too don’t think he is the answer, however, how many skilled centermen are out there to be had? Everyone is crying for goal scoring and now we want to be fussy Let’s see— we all want a tough, gritty, great on faceoffs, centerman who will score 35+ goals and reasonable under the salary cap. I remember a few years back when Ellerby was the Panthers top pick—all the talking heads on the TSN feed were saying what a big tough guy he was, great skater and big hitter. Kind of reminds me of the guy Gudbrandson who is ranked #3 now. Take a look at the top 15-20 picks in the junior draft over the past 20 years. Their hype on draft day never ever matches what they actually do—unless your Jagr or Crosby.
I don’t think it’s fair to say that the top 15-20 picks don’t live up to the hype. You can count examples of guys that didn’t, but then you have plenty of guys that did. Ovechkin, Malkin, Kane, Stamkos, Doughty, etc. all seem to have done pretty well, and it’s too early to write off anyone from the last 2-3 drafts anyway.
I will agree, though, that guys that are known for being physical are almost universally overrated at the draft. Scouts and GMs and Fans love those huge hitters, but those guys aren’t really the model for a D in the NHL anymore. At some point the draft hype will reflect that, but we aren’t there yet.
I waited all year for this?
And two more arguments to make me sleep better after choosing Fowler at #3.
by Donny Rivette on Jun 22, 2010 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Ovechkin, Kane, Stamkos are all #1 picks—I’m talking about the 1st round picks that on draft day are being compared to the next Yzerman, or the next Jari Kurri or the next Mats Sundin—it’s unfair to these kids to be compared this way.after the usual 1-5 obvious star picks it is a real guessing game for 18 year old kids and how they mature..Shows what a steal we got last year in Kulikov—defensemen almost always take more time to develop than forwards do. Remember Jovocop and how he took a step back from his development? If we do draft a defensemen this year with 6 solid NHL guys there now we can almost be guaranteed that he will be back in Juniors again this season.
After the 1-5 I definitely agree it becomes much more of a crap shoot. There’s even some guessing early, but I think the main difference is that if you miss with a 5 the guy should still at least be an NHL player. Tyler Myers is another example of a D steal, the Caps got John Carlson. It’s definitely a guessing game but I think the prospect pool is deeper now than it’s ever been. We know more about every prospect and it’s a tough pill to swallow if you bust in the first round (as opposed to the previous 50/50 expectation). I do think, though, that the guys that come in with hype generally deserve it. They are so heavily scouted that it would be real hard for a flawed player to sneak through.
I waited all year for this?
I was a Goodbranson guy.......But.....
Now I like Fowler.for #3 ….I’m excited……..Everything is starting to come together….Panther fans………We have Ignition……
Tallon
is building Florida just like he built Chicago. Get picks, get awesome players, sign FAs…2-3 years you guys are very good.
"But yeah…like CC…I harbour no ill will." - VancityDan
"One time I was invited to come to a social gathering. I was paid a handsome amount of money, and I brought a shotgun and a bottle of Tanqueray and showed those people the best f***ing time they’ve ever seen." - Kenny Powers
by Chuckles Canuckles on Jun 22, 2010 10:30 PM EDT reply actions
He’s got a helluva head start with all of these picks. Options really are endless. The best aspect is knowing a plan is in place. That’s what’s been absent for the last decade.
by Donny Rivette on Jun 22, 2010 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Tallon statement to ESPN yesterday
Tallon stated “Nine years out of the playoffs — we’re far from done with our work here,” Tallon said. “We’ll talk more with teams in L.A.”
Sounds like Horton is now the only Panther wanting out..
Defense Corps seem crowded
I have my misgivings about the trade. I would rather see a forward picked up than another defenseman. We just lost one of our only goal scorers. How do you make up for that.
However, this is probably only the beginning of the trading for the Panthers. I am sure Horton was not the only Panther wanting out. Ballard ,Weiss, Clemmenson, or Allen may be next.
New Culture
With Horton gone as the first move, Tallon is living up to his promise of changing the culture here. Yes Horton was better last year on some nights, but I think we’ve all grown frustrated of his antics.
Tallon got the best deal he could and I realize many are screaming for offfence. I am sure he realizes that, and it’s only one move.
As for building around Weiss-Frolik and Booth, to me that’s a second line at best. Tallon knows it and will find a way to build a number one line. It would be sweet to get Carter, but don’t be surprised if he goes down the Chicago route as well. There are about 3-4 players there that he can pluck with a draft pick or two.
Who wouldn’t want Andrew Ladd, Kris Versteeg or Big Buff, as long as he plays consistently?
Do you realize Ladd played games five and six recovering with a fractured shoulder? That’s the kind of toughness that this organization has been dreaming of.
Long way to go, but let’s be patient. He’s got the eye for talent, and is very well respected throughout the league and players love him! Which is another reason for the Chicago connection.
The only one I’d want out of that group is Versteeg. Byfuglien takes plays off (watch the Hawks all year), and Ladd is a role player, which would be good at the right price.
Tallon has to acquire some serious first-line type players to go along with any top-caliber offensive players we draft. I’m sure he will.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Litter Box Cats
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida
|
53 | 25 | 17 | 11 | 61 |
|
Washington
|
54 | 28 | 21 | 5 | 61 |
|
Winnipeg
|
56 | 26 | 24 | 6 | 58 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
53 | 23 | 24 | 6 | 52 |
|
Carolina
|
55 | 20 | 25 | 10 | 50 |
(updated 2.10.2012 at 3:26 AM EST)
Eastern Standings
| GP | W-L-OT | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
New York Rangers
|
52 | 34-13-5 | 73 |
|
Boston Bruins
|
52 | 33-17-2 | 68 |
|
Florida Panthers
|
53 | 25-17-11 | 61 |
|
Philadelphia Flyers
|
54 | 31-16-7 | 69 |
|
New Jersey Devils
|
54 | 31-19-4 | 66 |
|
Pittsburgh Penguins
|
54 | 30-19-5 | 65 |
|
Ottawa Senators
|
57 | 28-22-7 | 63 |
|
Toronto Maple Leafs
|
55 | 28-21-6 | 62 |
|
Washington Capitals
|
54 | 28-21-5 | 61 |
|
Winnipeg Jets
|
56 | 26-24-6 | 58 |
|
Montreal Canadiens
|
55 | 22-24-9 | 53 |
|
Tampa Bay Lightning
|
53 | 23-24-6 | 52 |
|
Buffalo Sabres
|
53 | 23-24-6 | 52 |
|
New York Islanders
|
53 | 22-23-8 | 52 |
|
Carolina Hurricanes
|
55 | 20-25-10 | 50 |
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
