Jun/070
Panthers Make First Offseason Move
The Florida Panthers made the first move to securing a strong, young core of players for the future of the organization. One of the huge blunders of the Roberto Luongo deal is that we were left with zilch when it came to talent. Bertuzzi now with the Red Wings, Auld was injured most of the season and Allen was the bright spot for the trade. Details from Steve Gorten of the Sentinel…
“He was one year away from free agency, so to make that type of commitment is clear evidence of how much he’s enjoying it in Florida,” Kelly said. “He believes there’s a nucleus there that can win and he wants to be a part of it.”
“Bryan proved to be one of our top four defensemen last year and he will continue to play a vital role in our team’s future success,” General Manager and coach Jacques Martin said in a statement released by the Panthers on Wednesday. “He is a very talented and physical player with a tremendous work ethic, who is an asset to our organization both on and off the ice. With the signing of Allen, we now have assembled a core nucleus of defensemen for next season that includes Jay Bouwmeester, Ruslan Salei and Mike Van Ryn.
The deal is worth $14.5 million, Allen’s agent, Larry Kelly said. Allen made $1.55 million last season in the final year of a contract he signed in Vancouver.
Bryan Allen 2006-2007 Stat Pack
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