July 1, 2008 | 1:15am ET
Panthers unable to ink Bouwmeester TheFourthPeriod.com
Panthers GM Jacques Martin wants to get his young players locked up to long-term contracts, but he's so far been unable to sign defenseman Jay Bouwmeester.
Martin hinted that a deal wasn't imminent and the Palm Beach Post reports Bouwmeester could sign an offer sheet with another team today, giving the Panthers the option to match the offer or accept compensation.
"We continue to talk with Jay and his agent," Martin told the paper. "We're working on a deal. We don't have a timetable for it but hope to continue to go forward."
Meanwhile, with eight defensemen on the roster, Martin said he may look to trade one of them.
