“Captain Barbossa”, as Panthers’ faithful normally referred to him as, unexpectedly signed with the Winnipeg Jets on an inexpensive one-year contract. Michael’s subsequent departure was certainly a shocking, although overlooked and barely discussed headline during the free agency period. An abundance of fans anticipated Dale Tallon to retain his services, however, Dale surprisingly chose to move in the opposite direction.
The Florida Panthers previously acquired the natural Centerman from the offensive juggernaut Anaheim Ducks in exchange for severely struggling, underachieving forward Logan Shaw, during the 2016-17 season. After being traded to FLA, the Cats immediately sent him to the minors in order to further polish his game.