Within the first two hours of the opening of the NHL's free agency period, the Panthers have signed four players.
The latest to join the Panthers -- Florida had already signed Jose Theodore, Scotty Upshall and Ed Jovanovski -- is Nashville center Marcel Goc.
Florida gets Goc for three years at $1.7 million per year.
Goc doesn't score much -- he had a career-high 12 goals with the Preds in 2009-10 -- but he moves the puck well but should play a bigger role with the Panthers.
FLORIDA PANTHERS OFFICIAL RELEASE
Florida Panthers Executive Vice President & General Manager Dale Tallon announced today that the club has agreed to terms with C Marcel Goc (GAWCH) on a three-year contract.
Goc joins D Brian Campbell, F Tomas Kopecky, G Jose Theodore, D Ed Jovanovski and F Scottie Upshall as new Panthers signings over the last week.
“We are very pleased to have signed Marcel,” said Tallon. “He is a solid, versatile two-way forward that will contribute on both ends of the ice and add depth to our center position.”
Goc, 27, has played in 389 career National Hockey League games for Nashville (2009-11) and San Jose (2003-09) registering 108 points (41-67-108) and 96 PIM. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound center owns a 52.2-percent face-off winning percentage for his career. Goc has appeared in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in six of his seven years in the NHL, playing in 43 postseason games, scoring three goals with six assists.
On the international level, Goc has represented his native Germany at the Winter Olympics twice (2006 & 2010) and World Cup (2004). In addition, he has served as Captain of the German national team and represented his native country at the World Championship on several occasions (2003, 2005, 2008 & 2010).
Goc, who is the highest ever German selected in the NHL Draft, was selected by San Jose with their first choice (20th overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
Interesting that Colorado signed another goalie, leaving them apparently out of the Vokun running.
Any chance the PAnthers still do sign Vokun? Clemmer only has a year on his contract and could be traded or bought out. No one else really has a great need for goaltending and has the cash to spend.
Posted by: ac | July 01, 2011 at 02:26 PM
Vokoun is going to wash
Posted by: Matt | July 01, 2011 at 02:30 PM
that is the rumor but I don't know if that makes sense or will happen. They just got rid of one goalie and have two left.
Posted by: ac | July 01, 2011 at 02:41 PM
Apparently we traded for Versteeg!
Posted by: Big Slap Shot bob | July 01, 2011 at 04:04 PM
I feel positive for the first time in years!
Posted by: litespeedvb1 | July 01, 2011 at 05:11 PM
Marcel Goc! If only Dale had made a move on Marco Sturm as well, then there would have been the German tank duo running for Bratwurst
Posted by: Downtowner | July 01, 2011 at 06:46 PM