Luongo heads to arbitration; Van Ryn is closest to
deal

By Michael Russo
Staff Writer

The deadline for the expiration of qualifying offers
has come and gone, and the Panthers have not re-signed
their Big Four -- Roberto Luongo, Olli Jokinen, Jay
Bouwmeester and Mike Van Ryn.

Luongo, the Panthers' backbone in goal, is headed to
an arbitration hearing next week.

Van Ryn, who led Panthers defensemen with 13 goals in
2003-04, is the closest to a deal. The team extended
his $1.064 million qualifying offer until training
camp and there is progress on a three-year deal.

But with camp less than a month away, the Panthers
aren't close to re-signing Jokinen or Bouwmeester.

Jokinen, their leading scorer the past two seasons, is
believed to be seeking about $4 million a year.

Considering the Panthers didn't offer him even $3
million before the lockout, he could be headed toward
a holdout.

Jokinen has leverage because he can become an
unrestricted free agent next summer.

Todd Diamond, one of Jokinen's agents, said he's had
one preliminary discussion with General Manager Mike
Keenan.

"They've indicated that he's an important part of the
team and would like to do something long-term, but we
haven't really started," Diamond said.

"We're just waiting for them when they're ready. We'll
have a very good indication of how much they prize
Olli in the next couple of weeks."

Keenan said he plans to focus on Jokinen.

"Olli has had his best season of his career here and
has had vast improvement with the organization ...,"
Keenan said. "I'd definitely like him to be in camp;
and it behooves him to be in training camp,
particularly in light of the fact that he's captain.
But we have to do what's right for the team."

The 21-year-old defenseman Bouwmeester had rejected
the Panthers' qualifying offer of $945,630 and is
seeking a multiyear, multimillion-dollar contract.

"In my view, he's a player, given his age and
experience to date, that a team can build a defensive
core around," agent Bryon Baltimore said.

Bouwmeester has little leverage because he doesn't
have arbitration rights until next year and is five
years from becoming an unrestricted free agent.

"He has the possibility of a very good future, but he
has a lot to prove yet," Keenan said.

"He's still a young player in the developmental stage
of his career, and we'll treat it as such. Players
have to realize where they are in their own
development.

"Olli is a different set of circumstances [than
Bouwmeester] because Olli is one year from free
agency."

The Panthers signed Juraj Kolnik, their second-leading
goal scorer (14) in 2003-04, and Filip Novak to
one-year, $450,000 contracts and defenseman Martin
Tuma to a three-year deal.

Vaclav Nedorost will miss the start of the season
following knee surgery, while Christian Berglund is
entertaining offers in Europe, Keenan said.

Posted August 16 2005

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