Jul 1, 2008 12:00 am US/Eastern
Panthers Sign F Cory Stillman
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) ―
The Florida
Panthers signed forward Cory Stillman to a three-year, $10.6 million
deal on Tuesday, shortly after the start of NHL free agency Tuesday.
"I think we've got a great fit, a
player that has the ability to score some goals and a smart player,"
general manager Jacques Martin said.
Stillman, 34, scored 24 goals and had
41 assists last season with the Ottawa Senators and Carolina
Hurricanes. He will earn $3.6 million next season and $3.5 million each
of the following two seasons.
This offseason, the Panthers have
also dealt forward Olli Jokinen - the team's leading scorer - to the
Phoenix Coyotes and hired Peter DeBoer as their new coach.
In his 13-year NHL career, Stillman
has played for five teams and won two Stanley Cup titles - one with the
Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 and another with Carolina two years later.
"I think he's an individual who will
provide leadership through his actions," Martin said. "The fact that
he's won two Cups, he could be a mentor to younger players."
Stillman had just one goal and 11
assists in the final 18 games of the most recent regular season, but
Martin said he was not too concerned with the drop in production.
"Sometimes when you're acquired at
the trade deadline, maybe, I don't know, if it's difficult to fit in,"
Martin said. "I really believe Cory is a tremendous team player."
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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