Matchsticks and Gasoline, a Calgary Flames community

Oh, [the Panthers are] not about to deal away any of their prized prospects for a goalie who has become a punching bag in Vancouver. The abuse via social media has turned pretty nasty, remarkably so considering Luongo carried the Canucks to a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals just over 12 months ago. Nor is there any hurry for the Panthers to work a deal with the Canucks, to whom Mike Keenan shipped Luongo in a fit of ego six years ago.

I miss Len Barrie. By now Parise would have been handed a $200 million deal and his own Hooter's franchise in Tampa.

Florida Panthers ‏@FlaPanthers
RED ALERT: #FlaPanthers have agreed to a one-year, two-way contract with RW Jon Rheault - @jwrheault - http://ow.ly/bWIlO #NHLTrades

Rheault scored 16G/17A through 47 games for the Abbottsford Heat.

Where I think [Alex Semin] will sign: Florida

Don't ask me why. It just seems that guys like him always pass through Florida at some point. Hey, the Panthers are not a joke franchise anymore. Semin could certainly do worse than end up here. Florida has nearly $30 million in cap room, and GM Dale Tallon likes to spend. Don't discount the weather factor, especially for Russian guys who grew up in the bitter cold.

Know this from the Panthers: They’ve decided [over the] weekend they’re going to see this Luongo thing through. They’re going to focus on it seriously.

Know this, Part 2: Canucks GM Mike Gillis also will see this through. He’s not giving Luongo away. If the proper deal isn’t there this summer, he’s prepared to have Luongo come to camp and wait until a team gets serious into the season before the trade deadline. The question is, would Luongo be OK with that?

Veikkaaja reports that at least Tampa Bay are interested in JYP G Riku Helenius. Wants 1-way deal. Also interest from at least 3 KHL teams

The line’s forming to the right for Florida UFA defenceman Jason Garrison, who has 16 goals, second only to Erik Karlsson. The Panthers have offered $2.5 million a year, but he’s barely given the offer the time of day after making $600,000 this year. The feeling is he figures he can get $4 million on the open market.

"He’s a No. 5 defenceman," said one NHL team executive. Plus, he’s only lit it up for one year. There’s no body of work here. That said, it’s a very shallow free-agent market for blue-liners, so he’s holding all the cards.