Former UMD Players Cash In

A number of former UMD players signed new pro contracts over the weekend, as NHL free agency opened on Sunday.

One -- defenseman Jason Garrison (2005-2008) -- really cashed in on the league's annual spending spree. Garrison inked a six-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks, one that will pay him $27.6 million.

Garrison spoke with me Monday from Chicago about his new beginning.

He joins another former UMD star, Mason Raymond, on the Vancouver roster. Raymond struggled last season after suffering a serious back injury during Game 6 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, but is expected back on a one-year deal at this point.

Elsewhere, another Garrison teammate at UMD, Matt Niskanen, signed for two more years in Pittsburgh. The 25-year-old Niskanen will make $4.6 million over two seasons, a bargain if he keeps improving like he did in his year-and-a-half in Pittsburgh.

Niskanen's confidence looked shot at times in Dallas. His trade to Pittsburgh appeared to come at a perfect time, as it put him in a different system where he could flourish. The Penguins' style, which is more about puck-moving and skating, seems a much better fit for the former Virginia/MIB Blue Devil.

Another defenseman -- Evan Oberg -- signed a one-year, two-way deal with Tampa Bay. Oberg played three games in the NHL last season, but was a regular for a Norfolk Admirals team that won the Calder Cup title and finished the year winning 45 of its last 48 games.

Forward Tim Stapleton, one of the top scorers in UMD history, is a free agent as of Sunday. He spent last season with the Winnipeg Jets after making the move with the franchise from Atlanta.

Jason Garrison Makes History

It's been a hell of a year for Florida defenseman and former UMD Bulldog Jason Garrison. He spent much of the season leading NHL defensemen in goals, and he made some history Tuesday night in Sunrise. During Florida's 5-2 win over Toronto, Garrison tallied his 15th goal of the season, tying a Panthers franchise record held by Jay Bouwmeester and Brian McCabe.



The goal comes at around the 1:40 mark on the above video.

It was Garrison's ninth power play goal of the season, which sets a franchise single-season record for defensemen.

Garrison has career highs with 15 goals and 28 points, and to make it better, he's doing it all in a contract year. He'll be a free agent July 1, barring something unforeseen.

Jason Garrison Leads Successful Group of UMD Alumni in NHL

One of the prices you pay for success in college hockey is the risk of losing star players early to professional hockey. Sometimes, even losing teams can have players coveted by the pros.

Defenseman Jason Garrison played at UMD from 2005-2008, flashing his big slapshot at times and developing his game enough that he got noticed by pro scouts. Garrison signed as a free agent with the Florida Panthers after the 2007-2008 season, forgoing his final year of college eligibility.

The move has paid off for Garrison, who is enjoying his best season -- by far -- in the NHL this year. As the league gets into the All-Star break, Garrison leads all NHL defensemen with a career-high 13 goals. He also has set a new career high with 21 points. The Panthers, under first-year coach Kevin Dineen, went into the break with 55 points, good for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and a tie for first place in the Southeast Division with Washington.

So what took the Panthers so long to figure out that Garrison could shoot?

"I guess it was just passed along from one of the assistant coaches who stayed after last season, and he let the new staff know about it," Garrison said this week. "They've used it to their advantage, and put me on the power play in a position to shoot the puck."

Garrison has 107 shots on goal this season in 48 games, compared to 113 last season. It's pretty clear that teams are adjusting their defensive zone coverages to account for Garrison, which doesn't mean the Panthers can't continue to utilize his offensive ability.

"You're gonna be a bit more of a focus," he said. "It will create more space somewhere else, so you can use that to your advantage."

Garrison spoke highly of Florida general manager Dale Tallon and the moves he made last summer to strengthen the team. Included in that were the acquisitions of former Blackhawks (Tallon was the GM in Chicago until 2009) like forwards Kris Versteeg and Tomas Kopecky and defenseman Brian Campbell, all players who were part of the 2010 team that won the Stanley Cup in Chicago.

"Dale's brought in the right guys," Garrison said, "guys that want to win and guys that have won. That's the biggest thing. These guys have won Stanley Cups, and know what it takes, and they pass it along."

Garrison is one of a growing group of UMD alumni playing in the NHL. Getting regular ice time are forwards Mason Raymond (Vancouver) and Tim Stapleton (Winnipeg), along with defensemen Justin Faulk (Carolina) and Matt Niskanen (Pittsburgh). Former Bulldog defensemen Dylan Olsen (Chicago) and Evan Oberg (Tampa Bay) have also seen time in the NHL this season, and forward Jay Rosehill is one of the tough guys employed by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Stapleton has set a career high with seven goals going into the break, Niskanen is enjoying a nice season in Pittsburgh after a rough go in Dallas for a couple years, Raymond came back from a scary back injury suffered during the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, and Faulk is one of the top rookie defensemen in the league.

What's interesting about Garrison's situation is that he's doing this in a contract year. Garrison signed a two-year, one-way deal in 2010 (meaning he would have to pass through waivers to go the minors and be brought back to the NHL roster, and he would make his NHL salary no matter where he played), and he can become an unrestricted free agent July 1. While teammate Mike Weaver recently signed an extension with the club, Garrison doesn't sound like a guy in a hurry.

"It's something I'm just going to have to deal with at the end of the year," he told me. "We want to make the playoffs and put ourselves in a position to go far. It's a team game, and I don't want to do anything other than focus on the game."

I'm not an expert on NHL salaries, but I have to figure a 27-year-old defenseman with a huge shot and a great attitude could probably net himself a chunk of change on the open market, whether he chooses to re-sign in Florida or go elsewhere.

For now, though, the focus is on helping the Panthers secure their first playoff berth since 2000. The ten-season drought is the longest in the NHL.

Conventional wisdom is that sophomore forward JT Brown will join this alumni-turned-pro list after the season, but we have a ways to go before we get there. The Bulldogs have 12 games left in the regular season, and hopefully a bunch more in the playoffs.

Justin Faulk Gets First NHL Goal; Stapleton and Garrison Also Score

It wasn't a great night for former UMD players Justin Faulk and Jason Garrison in terms of final scores and team results. Tim Stapleton might disagree.

Faulk's Carolina Hurricanes fell 4-2 at Stapleton's Winnipeg Jets Friday, while Garrison and the Florida Panthers lost 2-1 in a shootout at Buffalo.

However, both blue-liners tallied goals for their respective teams. Stapleton got one for the Jets, too, on a pretty good night for the one-time Bulldog stars in the NHL.

For Faulk, a 19-year-old rookie who made the Hurricanes out of training camp and then spent some time in the AHL before returning, Friday was his first NHL goal. Stapleton was credited with the game-winning goal -- his third of the season -- in the second period. Stapleton's goal comes on this video at around the 1:50 mark, while Faulk's is just past the 3:00 mark.



Garrison, meanwhile, leads all NHL defensemen with nine goals after his power-play goal in Friday's game. It comes at around the 1:50 mark of the highlight video.



The Panthers lead the NHL's Southeast Division, off to probably the most surprising start of any team in the NHL this season.

Jason Garrison Excited by Panthers Spending Spree

Jason Garrison played three seasons at UMD, scoring nine goals and amassing 29 points over 87 games. He has a big shot, but also grew as a defensive player during his time with the Bulldogs. By the time his injury-shortened third season was over, Garrison was one of the most trusted -- and eminently likable -- players on the UMD roster.

He signed a free-agent deal with the Florida Panthers, a smart move because Garrison knew he'd have a chance to climb the ladder in that organization, which at the time was low on defensemen in the system.

Fast-forward to the present day, and Garrison is coming off his best season as a professional. He played 73 games for the Panthers, scoring five goals -- three game-winners -- and 18 points. Among players who actually finished the season with Florida (Dennis Wideman was traded to Washington at the deadline), Garrison led the way in ice time, averaging over 22 minutes per game. Only Marty Reasoner and Mike Weaver fared better in plus/minus than Garrison.

It was a frustrating season for the Panthers in general, as the team wasted a pretty rock-solid season from goalie Tomas Vokoun, now with the Capitals, by not scoring nearly enough goals. But Garrison had a lot to hold his head up high about. It was a breakthrough for him, after spending most of his previous two pro seasons with the Panthers' AHL team in Rochester (113 games, 11 goals, 54 points).

Now, Garrison has something to be excited about. Florida general manager Dale Tallon went crazy as free agency started Friday, one week after adding former Chicago defenseman Brian Campbell in a trade. Tallon traded for forward Kris Versteeg and signed forwards Tomas Fleischmann, Tomas Kopecky, Scottie Upshall, Marcel Goc, and Sean Bergenheim, defenseman Ed Jovanovski, and goalie Jose Theodore.

Yeah, nothing really jumps off the page, but these are some solid moves for a franchise that needed some.

"Seems like he has made some key additions which the team is in need (of)," Garrison said over the weekend. "Power play help in Campbell, Versteeg, scoring depth in lines."

Stephen Weiss, Mike Santorelli, and David Booth are the Panthers' top returning scorers, and none of them hit even 50 points last season. While Versteeg and Fleischmann aren't prolific scorers, they add some real depth to Florida's top six. Fleischmann appeared to be on his way to a great season after being traded by Washington to Colorado, before a diagnosis of a pulmonary embolism ended his season.

Tallon also helped Florida's back line immensely by adding Campbell and Jovanovski.

"Playoff and Stanley Cup experience and leadership in Jovo," Garrison also noted, "as well as a top D man. I'm really excited about the moves."

Did Tallon overpay for the one-time Panther Jovo? Probably, but it's the kind of contract that someone would have given him had Tallon passed.

While Garrison might not lead the team in ice time again, he doesn't sound too worried about his role.

"So much time between now and camp," he said. "I'm proud of the job I did in my role last year, but if they have something else planned, I'll adjust."

Tallon has Jovanovski, Campbell, Garrison, Weaver, and promising youngsters Dmitri Kulikov and Keaton Ellerby available, along with 2010 first-round pick Erik Gudbranson, who could be ready to challenge for ice time in the NHL.

Garrison fits very well in this group as a player new coach Kevin Dineen can trust in all situations. You can't put a pricetag on that kind of player. He's a class act who understands his role and does what is asked of him. He's also only 26, while new faces Jovanovski and Campbell aren't exactly spring chickens.

The Panthers might not be a flashy team, but in a wide-open Eastern Conference, they could have become a contender for the top eight with Tallon's maneuvering.

Now, they need to work on getting people on South Beach excited about hockey.

Former Bulldogs Moved on Deadline Day

The last week has been newsworthy for former UMD Bulldogs playing pro hockey.

On Feb. 21, Matt Niskanen was dealt from the Dallas Stars to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins have given Niskanen plenty of ice time so far, though he'll have to play well to keep it, given the number of guys they have banged up.

The bulk of the activity came on Monday.

Former UMD sniper MacGregor Sharp was dealt from the Anaheim Ducks to the Vancouver Canucks. Sharp has 33 points in 96 career AHL games, and was scoreless in eight appearances last season with the Ducks.

He will report to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.

Evan Oberg -- who played two years at UMD from 2007-2009 before turning pro -- was dealt by Vancouver to the Florida organization. Oberg has four NHL games under his belt, including two this season, but he will report to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. He has seven goals and 11 points in 38 AHL games this season.

Oberg is the second former UMD defenseman to make his home in the Florida Panthers organization. Jason Garrison is in his third professional season, and his first full NHL season. In 53 games, Garrison has three goals and 11 points, but his role is likely to increase, now that Florida has traded half their defensemen. Included in their fire sale were captain Bryan McCabe and power play quarterback Dennis Wideman. Garrison should get some power play time to go along with the more than 23 minutes per game he's already on the ice for.

Meanwhile, the San Jose Sharks have signed goalie Antti Niemi to a four-year contract extension. This is likely bad news for former UMD All-American goalie Alex Stalock, who is recovering from a serious injury to his left leg that required surgery. Stalock was having a good second season in the AHL -- and had picked up his first NHL win in a brief call-up -- before he was injured.

Now, one has to wonder what Al's future in the organization is, because $3.8 million per year goalies usually don't sit on the bench for very long.

As for other former UMD players currently in the NHL, Mason Raymond has ten goals and 31 points in 52 games for the Vancouver Canucks. Tim Stapleton has one goal and two points in 26 games for the Atlanta Thrashers. Also, Jay Rosehill -- who would have set all sorts of records for sin-bin time had he played four years of college hockey -- has one goal and two points in 18 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs. A defenseman for most of his career, Rosehill plays forward now, and brings the kind of truculence Brian Burke likes.

Jason Garrison Signs New Deal

While we await the final decision of the San Jose Sharks in goal, there is more good news about former UMD Bulldogs toiling in the NHL.

(For those who don't know, the Sharks have former UMD star Alex Stalock coming off a record-setting rookie year in the AHL, and there's a good chance he'll make their NHL roster at some point during the 2010-11 season, if not from the outset.)

The ever-classy Jason Garrison played three years at UMD, and was unlucky as a junior to see a solid-looking season derailed by a broken leg suffered from a dirty hit by a Wisconsin player (not that I'm bitter or something).

Garrison left after his junior season to sign a free-agent deal with the Florida Panthers, and he made his NHL debut in the 2009-2010 season, getting a shot for a single game at St. Louis before being sent back to the AHL's Rochester Americans.

Last year, Garrison's callup lasted longer. He played in 39 games for the Panthers, leading them in plus-minus, recording eight points (including his first two NHL goals), and he was involved in his first NHL fight. He played quite well and took advantage of his opportunities, and now he's earned a new contract with the Panthers.

Oh, and it's a one-way, NHL contract.

Garrison's salary will be $650,000 for 2010-11 and $700,000 for 2011-12.

"It's nice knowing you have something walking into camp," Garrison said. "At the same time, I'm definitely not going to sit here and be complacent with it. … I want to go in, work hard and show the coaching staff and management they made a good decision."

Couldn't happen to a better guy. Hopefully he's able to take advantage of this latest opportunity with the rebuilding Panthers.

You can hear a conference call with Garrison on the Panthers website.

(Bear-hug: Rink and Run)