Saturday, July 02, 2016

Demers Chooses Florida



It doesn't look like the Florida Panthers are ready to slow down on their build to a better playoff team, as they jumped on free agent defenseman Jason Demers on Saturday.  Demers and the Panthers came to a 5-year agreement, reportedly worth $22 million.

The 28-year old defender was one of the higher profile defenders on the open market, but weighed his options carefully and took an extra night to make his decision and the Panthers obviously gave him what he wanted.

In 62 games with the Dallas Stars last season, Demers had 7 goals and 23 points, making him the 69th ranked defender on the scoring list.  He is a pretty good minute eater and plays a decent two-way game, so he should be able to fit right in and compliment some of the more offensive talent that he could possibly partner up with.

Given his scoring rate, Demers should be able to eclipse his point total from the 2016, assuming he can stay healthy and play more games.  I would give him a little boost, trying to find a bargain projection and get him a little bit later in the draft, if possible.

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