Bouwmeester not on the trade block

From Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun:

"As far as I know Bouwmeester is not the guy that Jacques Martin is offering up," said a league executive yesterday. "Bouwmeester is the guy they've got to build that team around. I haven't heard his name being offered around in a trade, not even once."

Read the entire article here.

Obviously the Panthers don't want to trade Bouwmeester, so it is no surprise that the Cats have not offered Bouwmeester up in a trade. But as Garrioch points out, the speedy defenseman can opt to sign a one-year deal through arbitration and then become an UFA after next season. Thus, the Panthers' only option may be to trade the defenseman if they cannot come to some sort of long-term agreement.

Could Bouwmeester leave Florida after next season?

From George Richards of the Miami Herald:

The Panthers hold out hope Bouwmeester can be locked in for more than one season, although if the two sides do make it to arbitration, the longest contract Bouwmeester could be awarded is one year (for next season). That would leave the Panthers in a precarious situation. If Bouwmeester signs for only next season, he would become an unrestricted free agent after the 2008-09 season.

Florida's risk in keeping Bouwmeester through next season is seeing him walk away at the end of the year -- with nothing coming back in return. Bouwmeester is thought to be asking for a financial deal similar to one struck by Calgary's Dion Phaneuf last season. The Flames locked in their All-Star defenseman for an average of $6.5 million over the course of the six-year contract.

Read the entire article here.

Unless the Panthers break the bank for Bouwmeester, I would be surprised if he agreed to a long-term contract. The slick-skating defenseman seems to want out of South Florida and the appeal of unrestricted free agency a year from now is probably too much for him to pass up.

Bouwmeester files for arbitration

From Steve Gorten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

Panthers' defenseman Jay Bouwmeester has elected to take the team to salary arbitration, the NHL Players Association announced on Saturday.

The league's deadline for filing was 5 p.m. Hearings will be held July 20 to Aug. 4. Bouwmeester's agent, Bryon Baltimore, said his hearing date hasn't yet been determined.

Bouwmeester, a restricted free agent, was awarded a two-year, $4.35 million contract when the Panthers took him to arbitration in July 2006.

Read the entire article here.

Just because Bouwmeester has decided to file for arbitration, doesn't mean the Panthers can't sign him to a contract before the arbitration date. In fact, more often than not, teams sign there players after they have filed for arbitration but before the arbitration hearing is held.

That being said, this surely won't put an end to the whispers that Bouwmeester wouldn't mind getting out of Florida.

Update: Here is the list of all the players who filed for arbitration today.

Bouwmeester wants out of Florida?

From Steve Zipay of Newsday:

With the trade of Olli Jokinen, a person close to Jay Bouwmeester told Newsday
that the defenseman wants out of Florida.

Read more from Zipay here.

Well that sure wouldn't be good news for Florida. If this report is true, the Panthers may really be starting from the bottom up. That is, of course, if they actually decided to trade the speedy defenseman.