Not content to stop making headlines after the dinner hour, the Panthers signed former Tampa Bay forward Sean Bergenheim to a four year, $11 million deal this evening. Bergenheim wasn’t much of a known quantity around the league this past season, but showed up big time during the Bolts’ playoff run, scoring nine goals and making a huge impact offensively. That performance surely helped his cause as an unrestricted free agent, and he was able to cash in and join the completely revamped Florida roster. Here’s to hoping Bergenheim is able to continue his offensive production from the playoffs into the 2012 NHL season.
Along with the other forward acquisitions made by Dale Tallon and Mike Santos today, Bergenheim will provide a lot more depth and potential scoring punch. New head coach Kevin Dineen has to be thrilled at the depth the Panthers management has provided him with in just one day of free agency, as Florida has majorly stocked up at the left and right wing positions and gives Dineen the depth to roll four lines comfortably. Bergenheim is also a defensive forward and should slot in as a 2nd or 3rd line winger for the Panthers next season. Once again, another acquisition that has some risk/reward, but gets them ever closer to that magical cap floor we all keep hearing about.