NHL rumors: Canadiens, others interested in Sean Bergenheim
There is reportedly a decent market for Panthers forward Sean Bergenheim.
By
Chris Peters
•
2 min read
The Florida Panthers aren’t necessarily sellers as the NHL trade deadline approaches, but they’ll remain a team to watch when it comes to moving out expiring contracts. One such contract belongs to forward Sean Bergenheim, who reportedly wants out of South Florida.
Bergenheim will become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason and earlier this week, his agent informed the Panthers that his client wants to be traded according to Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel.
In his fourth season with the Panthers, Bergenheim has never quite met the expectations of the four-year deal he signed with the club after his playoff explosion with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2010-11.
Having missed all of the 2012-13 season with an injury, Bergenheim has registered 70 points in 163 games in South Florida over parts of three seasons. The 31-year-old forward has appeared in just 39 games this season.
Despite the relative lack of scoring he has provided, Bergenheim is a solid enough two-way forward that has often been a positive possession player over the course of his career. Additionally, he has been a factor in the two trips he’s made to the postseason.
In 23 Stanley Cup Playoff games, Bergenheim has 17 points including 12 goals. Perhaps that is why there appears to be growing interest in him.
According to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Montreal Canadiens are among teams that have interest in the Panthers forward. Habs general manager Marc Bergevin had dinner with Panthers GM Dale Tallon at the Bell Centre Thursday night according to Arpon Basu of NHL.com.
The Habs have company in their interest, however. According to LeBrun, both the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks are also in the mix to acquire Bergenheim.
The Finland native would be an interesting addition as a depth player for any of those teams. With 18 points in 39 games this season, he’s in line with his recent production rates and might bring a little extra offense on a better offensive team.
Considering the fact that it is well known that Bergenheim wants out of Florida, the price probably isn’t going to be very high to acquire him. However, with multiple teams reportedly interested, Tallon has some bargaining power, but you wouldn’t expect him to be able to bring back much more than mid- to low-round draft picks in a deal.
The Panthers are in the playoff hunt still, just three points away from the Boston Bruins for the last wild card spot in the East, but hanging onto Bergenheim just for the chance to sneak into the postseason may not be the best use of an asset with some level of demand surrounding him.
