Tomas Vokoun to be the top goalie in the Free Agency market if negotiations not done in time –NHL Update
Florida Panthers' general manager, Dale Tallon, has been negotiating with his top goalie, Tomas Vokoun, for quite a while now, but by the looks of it, the negotiations seem like they are not going anywhere and Vokoun would be entering the free agency market
as the hottest goalie.
Since Ilya Bryzgalov and Dwayne Roloson are now out of the free agency net, Vokoun is set to become the most wanted goalie in the league on Friday, the 1st of July.
When Dale Tallon was asked about what fans could expect in the upcoming days, he did not give much of a response that would indicate Vokoun’s interest in remaining with Florida.
"We're in negotiations with him (Vokoun) as we speak and we're very hopeful", Tallon said on a conference call with local reporters on Wednesday. "That's all I can tell you".
Drafted in the 1994 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft as the 226th overall pick during round-nine by Montreal Canadiens, and played with Canadiens in the 1996-1997 season, Vokoun was then traded to Nashville Predators with whom he played
for eight straight seasons.
Vokoun joined the Florida Panthers’ franchise during the 2007-2008 season.
Nevertheless, Tallon is confident of being able to retain one of the top goalies for his team’s sake.
"I know what needs to be done here and we're on the right track", Tallon said. "I want people that are passionate about being Panthers".
The 34-year-old goalie played 57 games with Florida last season and maintained a .922 saves percentage along with a 2.55 goals against average for a total of 22 wins and 28 losses.
According to his agent, Michael C. Deutsch, Vokoun is hitting the free agency on Friday.
"At this point it looks like he'll hit the open market on July 1", said Deutsch on Saturday in an interview. "He's keeping all his options open, including going back to Florida".
Keeping Vokoun in the line-up would be the best decision for Tallon and the team, but as the Czech Republic goalie continues to grow in ability, maybe seeking out a better team would be in his interests.
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