The Florida Panthers have announced the signing of former Columbus Blue Jackets forward Scottie Upshall to a four-year, $14 million contract. Upshall is a former Nashville Predators first round pick who has also played for the Philadelphia Flyers and Phoenix Coyotes. He was part of the trade that brought Flyers captain Peter Forsberg to the Predators in 2007, but was traded two seasons later to Phoenix for Dan Carcillo.
Upshall is a gritty right wing who averages about 30 points a season. He had a career high 22 goals in 82 games for Phoenix and Columbus. He will be a good option for the Panthers’ second or third line. While not a superstar, Upshall is a solid player and is the kind of hard-nosed, character guy that Dale Tallon likes. Without superstars, this is going to be a team that scores by committee and Upshall’s 20 goals a year will help here. This is a solid signing that will not only help the team hit the cap floor, but will provide a great work ethic and a few goals to a Panthers team starved for both.