The Florida Panthers are unlikely to sign defenseman Brian Campbell, said Florida general manager Tom Rowe on a conference call Monday.
The team and the possession-driving veteran defender have not come close in negotiations and that likely means that the Panthers are moving on, at least until Campbell is able to see what the market is like for his services. With more and more analytics-savvy teams in the marketplace, the getting could be good for Campbell.
This is potentially made a little bit easier for the team after acquiring the rights to Keith Yandle in a trade on Monday.
The 37-year-old Campbell put up six goals and 31 points in 82 games for the Panthers last season, his fifth with the team.
Rowe also took the time to deny rumors that the Panthers have been shopping defenseman Dmitry Kulikov. Moving him would make for a complete facelift, with the expected retirement of Willie Mitchell, the departure of Campbell and trading away Erik Gudbranson.
Rowe also mentioned that he expects backup goaltender Al Montoya to test free agency.
Dustin Nelson is the News Editor for The Hockey Writers. He’s a contributor to Hockey Prospectus, Hockey Wilderness, and writes a column for Rotowire. He’s also written for Gone Puck Wild, Wild Xtra, InDigest, Electric Literature, The Rumpus, Tiny Mix Tapes, Prefix Magazine & other publications. Have a tip? Email him at dlukenelson[at]gmail[dot]com.
