Bouwmeester Stays For Now
July 28th, 2008 by Jason ChenTo the surprise of no one really, Jay Bouwmeester has signed a one-year extension with the Panthers. However, I find it rather odd that Bouwmeester is only going to earn $4.8m next year. $4.8m is not much, and I’m sure he could’ve gotten more from the arbitrator, but for some reason he took less to stay just another year in Florida. Why? I think it’s because he knows he can cash in big time next summer. He inked an extension before his arbitration hearing set for Tuesday, avoiding more potential friction between him and management. This move also means that it is very, very likely Bouwmeester will not be in a Panther uniform in 2009, as I don’t believe the Panthers are dumb enough to let him walk without getting anything in return.
The Flyers were reportedly hot on Bouwmeester’s tail after it was reported that Bouwmeester had rejected the Panthers’ long-term offer, but the Panthers chose to wait and see how the season develops before deciding what to do with Bouwmeester. Panthers can rest assured that Bouwmeester is there to play every night, but merely to raise his stock come the deadline or free agency.
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