ZERO.

This Florida Panthers organization is going nowhere and every Panthers fan can thank the ownership for that.

We are all well aware every business, excluding non-profits, are all about the dollars. The Panthers are no different. They made a business decision on March 4th. That decision was that they had a decent enough team at the present time to make the push for the playoffs, get in without having to spend much extra, and get the needed playoff revenue. Oh, and yea, the fans would be excited.

Wrong.

Many people blame Jacques Martin for not making moves. Why not trade Jay Bouwmeester? Well, ask Jacques, right? He'll give you an answer. It won't be until he is totally out of the game and retired before he'll probably give you the correct one though. Ownership!

Think about this for a second... Jay Bouwmeester is a free agent after this season. Ownership knows, management knows, players know, and some fans know, he is not coming back. Chalk that one up as fast as a shot on goal in the 3rd period.  Oh whoops, the Panthers didn't have one Tuesday. You have a player on your team in which you can get an enormous amount of value for. A player who, once again, will not be there next season. Anyone in the NHL would take advantage of picking up a player, prospects, and draft picks. Not the Florida Panthers. The Panthers continually said they were going to do whatever they needed to make the playoffs this season. They lied.  They should have said they were going to do nothing because they didn't want to spend money for the future. But who would want to hear the truth?

If you can't read between the lines, you may want to schedule an appointment with your eye doctor immediately. How can a team let a player walk away and not try to improve their team for the next few years, as well as the present year? Sure, Bouwmeester was playing well before the deadline, but that doesn't mean you let a guy walk. You make a business decision in the best interest of the actual team. Instead, they made the business decision in the best interest of the owner and the future. Many losses.

Bill Guerin was picked up by the Pittsburgh Penguins for a conditional draft pick, which will ultimately be a fourth-rounder. Why couldn't the Panthers pick up a guy like Bill Guerin to be on the power play and improve the lines of the Panthers? Oh, well they'd have to pay him much more money for the remainder of the season than they are paying others right now.  Remember the goal, since no one can remember one from Tuesday night: don't add much money to the payroll.

Sure Steve Eminger, their lone trade on March 4th, makes more than Noah Welch is, by $500,000.  But, they also gave up a third-rounder with Welch. A third-rounder that they will now not have to pay $600,000 next season.

Lastly, I am looking around the league right now. I am thinking to myself how many players would have been able to at least equal Bouwmeester's play so far since March 4th... Yeah, it would have been tough...There aren't many guys you can find to get at least one point and have a minus three rating in seven games.

Whether they fluke into the playoffs, or not... and they probably won't, ownership knows what is ahead for this team. Hopefully, now you do too.