2010 3rd overall draft pick of the Florida Panthers, Erik Gudbranson, has been returned to his Junior club in Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League. The highly touted defenseman was expected to make the roster this season, much like the Panthers’ 2009 1st round, 9th overall NHL Entry Draft pick, Dmitry Kulikov. Gudbrandson, 18, did make the training camp in which he impressed, but due to an inability to structure a contract between himself, his agent, and the Panthers organization by the deadline time of 5:00p.m. Tuesday, Gudbranson will not skate in the NHL in 2010-11.
“Sometimes you just can't get a deal done,'' assistant general manager Mike Santos said Tuesday afternoon. “They worked at it and we worked at it. It's not over for us. We still have his rights for two more years. I'm confident we'll have him signed down the road.''
The problem surrounding the no-deal was down to money, as is the case with most of Florida’s player personnel problems. Gudbranson’s base pay on an entry-level contract would not have been a staggering amount that Florida wouldn’t be able to match, the problem lied in the performance bonuses that Gudbranson’s camp pushed to get the deal done. The performance bonuses have been reported to potentially bring the young stud defenseman into the millions, a price too high for the cash-strapped Panthers to take on.
As is the case with all entry-level contracts, the Panthers would have had the option to play Gudbranson in nine regular season games before making the decision as to whether he would stay up in the big leagues, or go back to juniors for more development. Typically defense is a position that requires a lot of seasoning before a full-time NHL job can be found, but in the case of a highly skilled player like Gudbranson, along with the fact that the Panthers have been struggling consistently, the probability is that he would have stuck.
“If he was signed, I think he would have played in some games,'' Santos said. “I thought he played well in the preseason. He's only 18 years old. He's going to get better.''
Watching Erik play, not too many would assume he’s only an 18 year-old kid. Gudbranson stands tall at 6’4 195lbs. Gudbranson’s skill sets are off the charts in every category. He is extremely smart and plays with more poise than an 18 year-old should in his own zone. He is sound positionally, and can use his large frame to devastate opponents at will, be it at open ice or along the boards, and he is known to have quite a mean streak to his name. He can also contribute offensively with his rocket of a shot, and his quick and accurate first pass is at an elite level already. Gudbranson is a cornerstone type of player on defense, one that the Panthers can build around for years to come. His game is a combination of skill, toughness, and leadership. All qualities that GM Dale Tallon and fans alike are tickled to have in their organization.
Gudbranson began his journey to the NHL in 2007-08 when he was chosen fourth overall by the Kingston Frontenacs in the 2008 OHL Priority Selection.
Gudbranson made his OHL debut in 2008-09, where he scored 3 goals and 19 assists for 22 points in 63 games with a -16 rating and 69 penalty minutes. In that year, he was named captain of Team Ontario for the U-17 Championships and was a member for Team Canada for the u-18 Championships.
Last year, Gudbranson did even better for himself. In 41 games he scored 2 goals and 21 assists for 23 points, and improved his plus/minus to +11 with 68 total penalty minutes. His numbers would surely have been even better, but he suffered from mononucleosis which shortened his season. In 7 post season games, he scored one goal and added two assists with an even plus/minus and 6 penalty minutes. He was supposed to play in the 2010 CHL Top Prospects Game but missed it due to his illness.
The news that a deal could not be done is anything but good news for the struggling Panthers under GM Dale Tallon. The Panthers are one of only two teams that have not made the playoffs since the lockout in 2004-05. Florida has been built with some solid youth and prospects on the back end with the likes of Erik Gudbranson, Dmitry Kulikov, and Keaton Ellerby along with rising and maturing prospects Alexander Petrovic, Colby Robak, and Adam Comrie in the minors. The newly appointed general manager Dale Tallon looks set to be on his way to building another Championship team in sunny Florida. Tallon is responsible for a lot of the Blackhawks’ Cup success and team building, and although Florida is a lot further out from that goal, they are looking to come into form rather quickly.
The Hockey world will have to hold its breath and wait for the emergence of Erik Gudbranson in the National Hockey League, but rest assured you won’t be disappointed, and the Calder chase will be on.
- Kendall Grubbs
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