Trading Captain Olli Jokinen Is Not The End Of The World If....:

1. Both Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton do indeed step in and become strong top-4 Defensemen as projected (Ballard with Bouwmeester and Boynton with Bryan Allen.) Suddenly the Panthers have one of the deepest D rosters in hockey and Ballard could well continue to grow into an All Star. Plus his puck moving skills is fills one of the Cats greatest needs and recent major weaknesses.

2. If that frees up the money (Olli’s salary added to cap space) for a quality scoring free agent.

3. Repeat parenthesis from #2…AND help’s lock Jay into a long term deal, then the trade might not have been panic button slapper, but the catalyst for FINALLY getting some progress on being a legitimate contender.

Considerations For Justifying The Trading Of Olli:

1. The knock on Olli has been that he has never led the Panthers to the playoffs. There are numerous reasons why you can’t hang all that on him, but just look at Ovechkin or any other leader that single handedly took their teams to the next level. Stanley Cup contenders don’t just need good Captains; they need great Captains whose actions can turn a game and the team around.

2. Your Number 1 paid guy needs to be the Number 1 guy. Olli was the leading scorer, but last season there were many nights he wasn’t the best player on the ice, or even on the number-1 line (was often the emerging Horton-Weiss-Booth line.) The team may have developed to the point Olli was no longer in his proper role. He’s not expected to be leading scorer in Phoenix but they’ll be thrilled if he is, nor will he be Captain. He’s simply expected to play like a first line center and he’ll be given some excellent line mates. Expect a tremendous season from Olli. Which leads me to.........

3. That horrific night in Buffalo last February. Right after getting over the initial shock of seeing Zednik skate off in a trail of blood, my second thought after concern for his life was…no lie here…Olli. I looked at my wife and said, “I hope this doesn’t ruin Olli.” That was a traumatic moment that he admitted haunted his nightmares making from many nights of unrest. Add that to the stress over trade rumors (remember this happened just after the trade deadline) and amidst rumors of a growing rift with Coach/GM Martin. That’s a lot of weight for anyone to carry. During that final stretch I seriously wondered if Olli wasn’t “done” in Florida and if a fresh start wasn’t needed. I didn’t want to admit it, but I believe it’s true. Now he has it in Phoenix. I hope he has a great season. I hope Cats fans cheer him from afar. I hope the first three things listed above come true.

Thanks for the memories Olli!

What do YOU think?
Let Me Know How YOU Feel By Submitting Your Comments Below!

Kevin Vargas Main Page