Welcome to the third annual Litter Box Deadline of Doom: a day-long celebration of sixth-round conditional picks and TSN’s unequivocal love of them.
Things being what they are today, we like draft picks a whole bunch as well; a positive development, since we’re likely to witness a few head south to the mean streets of One Panther Parkway, replacing what’s arguably the best group of expiring contracts in the league. Jacques Martin Giveth, and all. Transaction Bliss – or at least our warped version of it – awaits after the jump…
JM can’t take all the credit, of course; Dale Tallon and Mike Santos brought in a few gems of their own who are almost certain to be moved by the 3pm lockdown. They had to fill a roster with competent bodies for a year, and in most cases succeeded. Time to move forward.
Follow along as we scour the internet for Florida Panthers fodder via live feeds, Twitter, and 30 talking heads at TSN (seriously), among various other locales. We’ll alter the lists below as the day progresses.
The Candidates
Unrestricted Free Agents: Radek Dvorak, Chris Higgins, Marty Reasoner, Darcy Hordichuk, Ryan Carter, Bill Thomas, Hugh Jessiman, Alexander Sulzer, Joe Callahan, Tomas Vokoun, Triston Grant, Clay Wilson.
Restricted Free Agents: Steve Bernier, Michal Repik, Kenndal McArdle, Shawn Matthias, Byron Bitz, Mike Santorelli, Jack Skille, Keaton Ellerby, Marc Cheverie, Tyler Plante, T.J. Fast, Jeff LoVecchio, Brady Calla, Michael Caruso, Jordan Knackstedt, James DeLory, Mike Duco, Tim Kennedy, Carl Hudson.
Garnering attention: Stephen Weiss, David Booth, Dennis Wideman, Bryan Allen.
Resources
Deadline-related sites: TSN, Sportsnet, Elite Prospects, Spector’s Hockey, Kukla’s Korner, CapGeek, SBN Deadline Hub
Deadline-related Twitter accounts: McKenzie, LeBrun, Dregger, Cox, Mirtle, Kypreos, Richards, Fialkov
Confirmed Deals
10:30 – Dvorak, 5th to ATL for Niclas Bergfors, Patrick Rissmiller
11:45 – Wideman to WAS for Jake Hauswirth, 3rd
1:50 – Allen to CAR for Sergei Samsonov
3:00 – Higgins to VAN for Evan Oberg, 3rd