Flames Sign Defenseman Bouwmeester to Five-Year Contract

The Calgary Flames took one of the biggest names off the 2009 free agent market by signing newly acquired defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to a five-year contract worth $33 million. The deal averages out to $6.6 million per season. The Flames acquired the negotiating rights to Bouwmeester during the second day of the 2009 draft in exchange for defenseman Jordan Leopold and a 3rd round pick in the 2009 draft. In all 82 games with the Panthers last season, Bouwmeester scored 15 goals and 27 assists for 42 points. He has appeared in 471 career games, all with the Panthers, scoring 53 goals and 150 assists for 203 points. This is a great move by the Flames, as it gives them a very talented offensive defenseman with great skills on the power play. He will likely play with Dion Phaneuf as the top defensive pairing, giving the Flames two very talented top-two defensemen. Bouwmeester should be a good fit for the Flames and will bolster their defense for the next five years. And no, signing Bouwmeester DOES NOT mean Phaneuf is going to get traded to Ottawa for Dany Heatley.