So after a little vacation and a lot of time to think, I've found a way to feel better about what on face value is an absurd contract.
Florida GM Dale Tallon signed Dave Bolland to a staggering 5-year, $27.5 million contract as free agency opened last week. Bolland's best year as a pro was 6 years ago with 47 points. He's played more than 62 games only twice in his career, including 58 games COMBINED over the last 2 seasons.
He suffered a torn ankle tendon last season that limited him to 23 games. It is an injury he admits is still healing.
Yet somehow, some way, he earned a monster contract from the Florida Panthers. With tons of money to spend it is not as if this contract is the noose around the club's neck that the Toews and Kane contracts will prove to be in a few years. But for a team that is desperately trying to "turn the corner" it is certainly a questionable signing.
Jussi Jokinen is now a Florida Panther. While most will say his 57 points last season were a result of playing on a very talented Penguins team, which has merit, I'm not so sure there will be a significant dropoff that most expect in Florida.
If things shake out the way most people think they will, Jokinen will likely be on a line with stud and emerging star, Aleksander Barkov. Barkov's season was cut short because of a knee injury at the Olympics. If healthy he surely would have lead the Panthers in points last season.
Jokinen is excited to be a friend and mentor to his Finnish protege in Barkov, and excellent chemistry is likely between the two talented forwards.
At only $4 million per season, Jokinen is a solid signing. A forward coming of a 57 point season may have asked for more, and gotten it in this overpaying period(i.e. Bolland).
For as disturbed as I was about the Bolland signing, I was equally happy with landing Jokinen.
But something was missing. I still didn't feel very good about it for reasons that I will address in a future post. But for the moment this is what I did.
I forced myself to think that Bolland's contract was Jokinen's and vice versa. The more I thought about it, this did the trick. The money is all in the same pot anyway.
Bolland is one of Tallon's Chicago guys, so that likely had something to do with it. Jussi's potential is probably worth closer to Bolland money.
There is no question that the Florida Panthers are a better team than they were at the beginning of last season, and for this club that is vital to any potential growth.
So I have stepped away from the Bolland ledge. All is good in the world. Or is it? That shall be addressed in my next post.
Should this rationale ease any of the pain of the Bolland contract? I'm sure some spirited comments are forthcoming.
Dan Spiegel
Florida Panthers Media
Follow me on Twitter
Join the Florida Panthers Insiders FB Page
Connect with me on Google Plus 
Florida Panthers Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»