Penguins Acquire Defenseman Leopold from Panthers

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that they have acquired defenseman Jordan Leopold from the Florida Panthers in exchange for their second round pick in the 2010 Entry Draft. In 61 games with the Panthers this season, he has seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points. He was acquired by the Panthers this past summer in the Jay Bouwmeester trade and signed to a one-year contract. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. In 416 career NHL games with the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, and Florida Panthers, Leopold has 36 goals and 91 assists for 127 points. This is a decent trade for the Penguins, as Leopold will bring plenty of offense to their defense. He will also bring some experience to a blueline that has seen its share of injuries this season. Leopold is likely a rental player for the Penguins for the playoffs, but he will bring plenty of skill and depth to the team and will be a welcome addition to their defense if injuries begin to mount again.

Panthers Sign Defensemen Leopold & Wilson to Contracts

The Florida Panthers continued to retool their defense on Thursday by signing defenseman Jordan Leopold to a one-year contract worth $1.75 million and defenseman Clay Wilson to a two-year contract. The terms of Wilson’s deal were not disclosed. The Panthers acquired Leopold on June 27 in a trade with the Calgary Flames in exchange for the negotiating rights to star defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. Leopold was traded to the Calgary Flames at the March 2009 traded deadline by the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defensemen Lawrence Nycholat and Ryan Wilson and a second round pick in the 2009 Entry Draft. In 83 games last season with the Avalanche and Flames, Leopold scored seven goals and 17 assists for 24 points. In 355 career games with the Flames and Avalanche, he has 29 goals and 80 assists for 109 points. Wilson started last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets but was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers in January for Jason Williams. In seven games last season with the Thrashers and Blue Jackets, he scored one assist. Wilson split the rest of the season with Chicago and Syracuse of the AHL, appearing in 70 total games, scoring 14 goals and 31 assists for 45 points.

These are okay signings for the Panthers, who are in the process of rebuilding their blueline after the departure of Bouwmeester. Leopold brings lots of defensive depth to the Panthers and plenty of skill to their power play and penalty kill. The Panthers were wise to sign him to a one-year contract, as Leopold has a bit of an injury history. Wilson was likely a depth signing for the Panthers, as he is not quite ready to crack the NHL full time. He definitely has the skills to be a top-six defenseman in the league as long as teams give him the chance.

Flames Acquire Bouwmeester from Panthers

The Calgary Flames made a huge splash on the second day of the 2009 Entry Draft by acquiring defenseman Jay Bouwmeester from the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenseman Jordan Leopold and Calgary's 3rd round pick in the 2009 draft. The Panthers used the pick to select right wing Josh Birkholz. The trade comes after months of speculation over whether the Panthers would trade Bouwmeester's rights before he became an unrestricted free agent an July 1. The Flames were one of several teams interested in acquiring negotiating rights to the 25-year-old defenseman. Philadelphia, Edmonton, and Toronto were other teams believed interested in acquiring him. The Panthers had hoped to re-sign Bouwmeester before free agency began on July 1, but as time went on, it became less apparent he would be back with the team. Contract negotiations with the team and Bouwmeester had become strained the past few years as the team failed to improve in the standings. In all 82 games last season with the Panthers, Bouwmeester scored 15 goals and 27 assists for 42 points. Leopold split last season with the Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames, appearing in 83 games, scoring seven goals and 17 assists for 24 points. The Flames are expected to make a multi-year offer to Bouwmeester before he becomes a free agent on July 1. If the Flames sign him, it gives them a very talented offensive defenseman with good skills on the power play. He would also give the Flames a second top-two defenseman to play alongside Dion Phaneuf. However, the acquisition of Bouwmeester has led to some baseless speculation that the Flames are going to trade Phaneuf to Ottawa for Dany Heatley, which I DO NOT see happening. No word if the Panthers intend on signing Leopold, but if they do, it gives them an offensive defenseman to replace Bouwmeester, but not of the same caliber. Leopold would also give the Panthers some veteran experience to their blueline. However, if Florida does sign him, they would be wise to make it a short-term contract, as Leopold has become extremely susceptible to injury the past few years.

Flames Acquire Defenseman Leopold from Avalanche

The Calgary Flames shored up their defense for the playoffs by acquiring defenseman Jordan Leopold from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Lawrence Nycholat, defensive prospect Ryan Wilson, and Montreal's second round pick (previously acquired) in the 2009 Entry Draft. Leopold had popped up in rumors the past few weeks and had been linked to the Flames or Boston Bruins. In 64 games this season, Leopold has six goals and 14 assists for 20 points. Nycholat has played in 14 games this season, scoring one assist and was claimed off waivers by the Flames just yesterday. Leopold will bring the Flames plenty of offensive depth and speed to their blueline, and with this being his second stint with the team, will fit in right away with his former teammates. Nycholat hasn't played much this season and will likely be a sixth defenseman for the Avalanche. Wilson should be a good fit for the Avalanche in the future, as he plenty of offensive potential on the blueline and plays with a lot of toughness.