SUNRISE?
When Panthers coach Kevin Dineen approached David Booth in the locker room a few minutes before pregame warmups against the Islanders on Oct. 22, he had no idea that he was about to be traded for the first time in his six-year career."I thought he was going to tell me what to do that night. Use your speed or play the body, or, lets go, pick it up, '' Booth said Sunday afternoon after practicing with the Vancouver Canucks at BankAtlantic Center.
"He brought me through the weight room into his office and I was like, 'Hurry, just tell me already.' ? Then he says, 'A deal went through.'
"I was, 'Wow,' it's really hard to hear because I enjoyed Florida so much and have a lot of good memories here and a lot of good friends along the way. It was tough to have a change in a matter of seconds and say goodbye to something that I loved.
"Looking back it was done in a professional way and now I'm really excited to be a Canuck.''
It's no secret that this Panthers regime wasn't enamored by Booth's defensive deficiencies, and after just six games and two consecutive shutouts, General Manager Dale Tallon had seen enough. He traded Booth and his one assist, minus-6 start, along with his $18.25 million contract to the Canucks for veteran forwards Marco Sturm and Mikael Samuelsson.
Booth hasn't been the same offensive force since sustaining?two serious concussions in the 2009-10 season, a year after scoring a career-high 31 goals.
After a slow start with the Stanley Cup runner-up Canucks, Booth heated up and had five goals and 12 points in 19 games before sustaining a knee injury on Dec. 6 on a cheap shot from Colorado's Kevin Porter.
Without Booth, the Panthers have gone 17-10-8 and to the top of the Southeast Division standings.
"I thought we had a good team and the guys worked hard and wanted to win so I knew it was a matter of time they were going to play well,'' he said. "It's good to see them winning and give the fans something to cheer about.''
Booth had targeted Monday's game against the team that drafted him in 2004, but although he has been given medical clearance to play and was jabbed by his coach Alain Vigneault after practice ("I'm waiting for David to tell me he's ready to go,'') Booth won't rush back.
"This is the game I'd do anything to play and it's really tough not to,'' Booth said. "I don't think I'd do any benefit to the team. I don't have my speed right now. I have no power in the leg ?I can't even put full pressure on it.
"I'd probably get hurt if I played.''
Ironically, since joining the Panthers, both Sturm and Samuelsson ? who have expiring contracts - have been slowed by concussions. However, Samuelsson has a goal and five assists in his last five games and seems ready to provide the secondary scoring that is sorely needed to take pressure off the Panthers slumping top line.
"Booth is such a dynamic speed skater and has a style of game that was very specific, as does Samuelsson. They're not similar, but both are effective,'' Dineen said after Panthers practice at Saveology.com Iceplex. "When the pucks on [Samuelsson's] stick a lot of creative things can happen.''
Markstrom scare
Panthers rookie goalie Jacob Markstrom was a no-show at practice because he tweaked the same knee that was surgically repaired last season in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Devils.
Dineen said he gave Markstrom a, "maintenance day,'' off so the doctors could make sure everything is, "solid and stable.''
"He had some long-term health issues last year and we want to make sure we're erring on the side of caution,'' he said. "I'm confident he'll be fine to be an option to play [Monday].''
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