The Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers have made an early season deal. The Vancouver Canucks have acquired forwards David Booth and Steven Reinprecht and a third round draft pick in 2013 from the Florida Panthers in exchange for forwards Marco Strum and Mikael Samuelsson.
For the Panthers, the basis of the trade was likely salary implemented reasons. David Booth has four years remaining at $4.25 million per-year on a deal not made by new general manager Dale Tallon. The 26 year-old had his third 20-goal season of his career with the Panthers as he registered 23 goals and 17 assists for 40 points and a -31 rating last season. Tallon obviously didn’t like the signing, but there is some truth to the fact that Booth’s exit largely had something to do with Tallon’s off-season signings, as multiple players on the team make more than they rightfully should. This happens quite often in a small market. For example, the Columbus Blue Jackets overpaid through the off-season, and are currently the second highest in terms of salary payout, and Buffalo fourth. GM talon knows that sometimes you have to overspend to bring talent in, and to put rear ends in seats, but unfortunately the trend has cost the Panthers one of its’ own.
Booth, who was drafted 53rd overall in the 2nd round by the Florida Panthers in 2004, made his NHL debut in 2006-2007 in 48 games, resulting in 3 goals and 10 points. The following year the speedy and gifted puck handler would register 22 goals and 40 points, and then raise his totals in 2008—2009 to 31 goals and 60 points. 2009-2010 would be marred by injury with a concussion, seeing him off for 45 games through the regular season, but Booth would rebound again notching 23 goals last year for the Panthers. In 309 NHL games with the Panthers, Booth has tallied 87 goals and 80 assists for 167 points. Booth has proven himself a legitimate top line player, and is likely to start his time with the mighty Vancouver Canucks next to Ryan Kesler.
"It's an opportunity to have a top-six forward and a left-winger to play with Ryan Kesler," Vancouver general manager Mike Gillis said.
"Booth is a fast player. He's a north-south player and he's going to get a chance to play with another guy who plays that way."
The Canucks also benefit from the fact that Kesler and Booth played minor league hockey together in the Detroit area, and are familiar with each other on and off the ice.
"Ryan knows him very well. He's scored over 30 goals in the league before and he's 26 years old," Gillis said.
"We think if we can get him here and get him moving in the right direction he'll embrace it."
Steven Reinprecht, the other player going to Vancouver in the deal, heads into his 12th NHL season. The 35 year-old has play 663 NHL games for five different teams in his career, but his time in the NHL has been falling over the past couple of years. Reinprecht, who signed a three-year deal with the Panthers in June, 2009 heads into his last contracted year with the Canucks not having played a single game to this point in 2011-2012. He was loaned last year to Manheim, Germany where he played 18 games, and dressed with the Panthers just 29 times. The veteran still has plenty to offer, especially on the fourth line center position and on penalty killing. His speed of foot, faceoffs ability, and veteran presence is something that younger Canucks can benefit from, however his $2.05 million contract may keep him out of the lineup unless the Canucks sustain injury to high paid players.
The Panthers in turn receive an 11 years experienced 34 year-old as well in veteran Mikael Samuelsson. 33 year-old Marco Sturm also come into the mix, with both players ending the year as unrestricted free-agents. The positive for the Panthers is that neither of these players must be committed to beyond this year, and both can play.
Samuelsson, who was scratched in the last two Canucks games with abdominal stiffness after an off-season surgery, brings scoring presence to the team immediately. Though his career started long before his time with the Wings, the Swede proved himself with the Detroit Red Wings where he really developed into a high points getter. In his four years with the Red Wings he collected a Stanley Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal. Samuelsson has registered at least 50 points in his last two seasons with the Canucks, and at least 40 points in each of the two previous years with the Red Wings. In 621 NHL games he has totaled 135 goals and 314 points. In the post-season, he has totaled 92 games, collecting 22 goals and 53 points. Samuelsson brings veteran presence and scoring ability within the top-six of the Panthers’ roster. While Samuelsson is good with the puck, he’s not the most consistent player on the ice, and now has much less talent around him. Samuelsson does have experience with Panthers forward Tomas Kopecky, who signed a four-year deal in June with the club. Samuelsson may just compliment the large center Kopecky quite well.
Marco Sturm also heads to the sunshine state in his 14th NHL season. Sturm has played a total of 896 games in the NHL registering 239 goals and 482 points. The 33 year-old 1st round draft choice of the San Jose Sharks in 1996 has seen his games played totals drop since his ACL and MCL tear in 2010. Sturm has played just 35 games last year split between the Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals. Sturm signed as an unrestricted free-agent in the off-season with the Canucks to a $2.25 million one-year contract.
If Sturm can return to his 2009-2010 form where he registered 22 goals and 37 points with the Boston Bruins, the deal could shake out well for the Panthers in scoring depth. The unfortunate part is that no one is quite sure what Sturm has left in the tank.
The deal overall left each club with two NHL players. In terms of who won the deal, most would lean towards the Canucks for getting the most out of the deal. Though the Panthers shed $1.55 million collectively, the truth is that Reinprecht wasn’t actually eating away their cap dollars. Both acquired players are in their mid thirties, and a building block in David Booth has been lost. To add to that fact, the Panthers also gave up a third round draft choice in 2013 just to shed the cap dollars, which truthfully doesn’t free up a large amount of money until the offseason.
The deal accomplished what both teams ultimately were looking for. The Panthers gave away committed cap dollars, and the Canucks have solidified their lineup with a true top-six forward that is still young, and locked up long term. In fact, the only big-name forward with an expiring contract at the end of the year is Mason Raymond, who becomes a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
So, if anyone thought the Canucks had a small window of opportunity to succeed in their Cup efforts, they’ve probably just been proved wrong. The Canucks have a wealth of talent locked up through at least the next three years, at which point the negotiations with the Sedin twins – the bread ‘and butter of the team’s success – must be done. Booth’s dollar amount doesn’t make for freed up money in the future, but the club is hopeful that it is in fact money well spent.
- Kendall Grubbs
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