Saturday Caterwaul: Florida Panthers Open Forum

Cats sign Zac Dalpe to a two-year deal

Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito has brought in another player that he is very familiar with from his days in Columbus, inking unrestricted free agent Zac Dalpe to a two-year, two-way contract.

Dalpe’s deal is worth $750K at the NHL level. The AHL level money is $400K in the first year and $350K.

The 31-year-old appeared in 12 games with the Blue Jackets last season and produced two goals and an assist. Dalpe also suited up in five games for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and lit the lamp three times and added an assist.

A second round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2008, Dalpe has played in a total of 153 career NHL games.

Internally, Zito has three more contracts to take care of. Restricted free agents Samson Reinhart, Samuel Montembeault and Chase Priskie received qualifying offers and all three have arbitration rights.

Reinhart played last season on a one-year contract that carried a $5.2 million cap hit. His 25 goal performance for the Buffalo Sabres will likely put up the AAV of his coming deal somewhere between $6 and $7 million.

Montembeault, 24, played last season on a one-year deal worth the league minimum salary of $700. He will be bumped up to an AAV of at least $750K at the NHL level as that is new league minimum for the next three years.

Priskie, 25, finished off a two-year, entry-level contract he signed with the Hurricanes on August 17, 2019. He will get at least a 5% raise based if he signs his qualifying offer.

WJSS

2021 first round draft pick Mackie Samoskevich scored a pretty goal in Team USA Blue’s 3-1 win over Sweden at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, MI.

Samoskevich finished the game with three shots on goal and took a roughing penalty midway through the third period.

Ty Smilanic also played in the game and registered one shot on goal.

Kasper Puutio scored the opening goal on the power play in Finland’s 5-4 overtime loss to Team USA White.

Puutio finished the game with three shots on goal and a minus one rating.

USA White will face Sweden at 1 p.m. and USA Blue will take on Finland today at 4 p.m. in the final day of the event.