The Florida Panthers had money to spend in free agency, and loaded up, bringing in four forwards, one defenceman and a goaltender on the first day of free agency. Numbers Game looks at the Panthers big first day of free agency. The Panthers Get: LW Jussi Jokinen, C Dave Bolland, C, Derek MacKenzie, RW Shawn Thornton, D Willie Mitchell, G Al Montoya. The Florida Panthers headed into the offseason giving general manager Dale Tallon more financial freedom than theyve had in recent seasons, and he wasted no time spending that money, with mixed results. Jokinen, 31, had a strong season playing on Evgeni Malkins wing in Pittsburgh, scoring 57 points in 81 games, the second-best point total of his career. That situation is not a luxury that Jokinen can count on in Florida where, despite their young talent, they have no one in Malkins class, but Jokinen has shown that he can be a productive contributor with solid possession numbers when playing with skilled players. Slot him alongside young Finn Aleksander Barkov and that has the makings of a solid two-way line and maybe Jokinen isnt likely to be scoring 50-plus points in Florida, where no one scored even 40 points last season, but Jokinen can be a useful player for at least three of the four years for which he signed, at a total cost of $16-million. Then, things got silly. Coming into free agency, there was a natural connection to make between Dave Bolland and Panthers GM Dale Tallon, given their time together in Chicago, but Bolland is a third-line centre so its really hard to justify the kind of money and term that was given. Bolland signed a five-year, $27.5-million contract, and its just flat-out outrageous. Bolland played well with the Maple Leafs last season, at least he did when he was healthy, but hes missed 142 games over the past five seasons and is coming off a season in which he missed 59 games due to a sliced ankle tendon. At his best, Bolland has been productive, scoring more than 35 points three times, and handled a lot of tough assignments in terms of zone starts and quality of competition, but assuming that hes up to that level now, after his latest injury, seems a tad optimistic and paying money and term that is more typical of a top-six forward is just really difficult to digest. For a checking centre, he also hasnt been very good at limiting shots against while killing penalties. Sure, the Panthers are nowhere near the cap now, and maybe they never will be, but its hard to take a team from being also-rans to contenders simply by paying a checking centre a boatload of money. By contrast, Paul Stastny and Thomas Vanek were the only two free agent forwards to come at a higher cap hit and neither one signed for five years. They didnt get as much term as Dave Bolland. MacKenzie, a 33-year-old checking centre, has been a reliable fourth-liner for the Blue Jackets. He had a career-high 237 hits last season and in four seasons with the Blue Jackets, hes won 54.9% of his draws. Signed for three years and $3.9-million, MacKenzie gives the Panthers good depth down the middle and it looks like Bolland and MacKenzie are going to bump prospects like Brandon Pirri and Vince Trocheck down the depth chart, presumably right out of the Top 12 unless they can fit on the wing. Shawn Thornton is a tough guy whose game has been declining in recent seasons. Hes fought 90 times over the past six seasons, but thats about what the 36-year-old (who turns 37 later this month) can do at this point. Whether thats worth more than a million dollars per season or multiple years probably has different answers for teams that arent trying to reach the salary floor. After missing the entire 2012-2013 season, Willie Mitchell had a nice comeback season, playing more than 20 minutes a night, a crucial part of the Kings second Stanley Cup win in the past three seasons. Hes 37, so not the fleetest afoot, but Mitchell has size, strength and adds a shot of reliability to the Panthers defence. In Mitchell and Brian Campbell (at least for now), the Panthers have a couple veterans that could show the way for first overall draft pick Aaron Ekblad and Mitchell, while a decent addition gets a nice payday -- two years, $8.5-million -- to eat some minutes on the Panthers blueline. Backup goaltender Al Montoya is a 29-year-old who posted a .920 save percentage in 28 games with the Jets last season. Trouble is, in the prevous two seasons, his save percentage was .894, so its not really reasonable to expect more than Montoyas career average which is .910. Adding Montoya would figure to mark the end of Dan Ellis time in Florida, though it may be difficult to find a taker for a 34-year-old coming off the worst season of his career. The Florida Panthers spent big money in the summer of 2011, overpaying a bunch of veterans in order to reach the salary floor, and this year has a similar feel to it. The issue for the Panthers is that they are a franchise that has reached the postseason once in the past 13 years; they dont need to overpay free agents as much as they need to build a stable base of talent. With all the money the Panthers spent on July 1, theres not much reason to believe any of those players are going to be long-term answers. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Basket Air Max 90 Femme Pas Cher .Y. -- It was as if Matt Moulson never left the New York Islanders. Nike Tn Noir Pas Cher . Like a magic trick, the puck popped out behind Stalock in the San Jose net. 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Adam LaRoche homered, Ryan Zimmerman had three hits and Ian Desmond added two doubles and three RBIs batting seventh as the Nationals welcomed back Harper with a 7-3 win over the Colorado Rockies. Harper, who missed 57 games because of a torn ligament in his left thumb, went 1 for 3 with an RBI single -- on Bryce Harper bobblehead night. "Having such a deep lineups huge," Harper said. "One through eight, pick your poison because youre going to get a guy who can hit the ball out of the ballpark or hit a double or anything like that." Jordan Zimmermann (6-4) allowed two runs in six innings as Washington won its third straight. The Nationals trailed 2-1 before a five-run sixth. With runners on first and second and one out, Zimmerman doubled to left off reliever Rod Scahill, scoring Anthony Rendon. "I tried to go in on Zimmerman, I missed two times in," Scahill said. "The third time in, it was a little bit more down than I wanted it to be and thats where he can get to that ball. And he got to it." Harper was walked intentionally and Desmond followed with a bases-clearing double into the left-field corner. "Thats the kind of decision-making and pressure we want to apply," manager Matt Williams said. "Bryce is a very good hitter, hed come through earlier in the game against the lefty for a base hit and an RBI and those are the decisions you have to make in that regard." Monday night marked the first time since opening day -- when catcher Wilson Ramos left the game with an injury -- that this starting eight had taken the field. Desmond is 6-for-6 with the bases loaded this season and, for his career is 11-for-17 with 16 RBIs when the batter before him is walked intentionally. "I just try to do the same thing I do every other time," said Desmond, who stole third and scored on Ramos grounder to second. Zimmermann, who finished June with a 3-2 record and a 1.43 ERA in six starts, allowed seven hits, struck out five and walked one. Hed been a victim of poor run support while going 0-2 in his last three outings. "Im just locating really well right noow," he said.dddddddddddd "Nothing really has changed, just locating well and the sliders really good. (If) I have those two things working together, I can usually string some pretty good starts together." Justin Morneau had three hits for the Rockies, who have lost 12 of 14 and finished the month of June 8-20. Yohan Flande (0-1), making his second start, was charged with three runs on six hits. He left with a 2-1 lead and runners on first and second in the sixth. "I think Flande was throwing the ball really well, but the first two guys got on in the inning," manager Walt Weiss said. "A guy making his second major league start, you want to be out in front of stuff before it happens to a kid like that. "Wasnt real comfortable with the Zimmerman matchup and went and tried to play a matchup that didnt work out." Harper, batting sixth and playing left field, was given a standing ovation when he batted in the second after LaRoches one-out single, but grounded into a double play. In the fourth, however, after Zimmerman doubled with two outs, Harper brought him home with a sharp grounder up the middle. "Its a strong lineup and I dont think theres too many opposing pitchers out there that want to see it," Desmond said. "It was nice to have Bryce back." The Rockies took a 2-1 lead in the sixth on back-to-back doubles by Drew Stubbs and Troy Tulowitzki, a line-drive single by Morneau that moved Tulowitzki to third, and sacrifice fly by Ryan Wheeler to short centre. NOTES: To make room for Harper, the Nationals optioned LHP reliever Xavier Cedeno to Triple-A Syracuse. ... Colorado placed RHP Jhoulys Chacin (inflamed shoulder) on the 15-day DL. Manager Walt Weiss said Franklin Morales will make Chacins scheduled Thursday start, giving the Rockies five left-handers in their starting rotation. The Rockies recalled RHP reliever Chad Bettis from Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... Rockies OF Corey Dickerson, who left Sundays game with a hamstring cramp in the eighth inning, was not in the starting lineup, but entered as part of a double switch in the sixth. ... Washingtons Stephen Strasburg (6-6, 3.70) opposes Christian Friedrich (0-2, 8.10) Tuesday. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Cheap NBA Jerseys Wholesale NHL Jerseys Wholesale MLB Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Wholesale NCAA Jerseys Wholesale Football Jerseys Wholesale Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys ' ' '



