Dave Bolland gets 5 years, $27.5 million to provide leadership for the Panthers

Assuaging fears that the Leafs were going to "Bozak" hard once again this summer, where Bozakking is like Tebowing, except instead of striking a vaguely religious pose, you overpay a centre for his intangibles, while ignoring his mediocre underlying numbers, Dave Bolland has signed instead with the Florida Panthers.

It's a five-year deal that will pay Bolland $5.5 million per year, which is over half a million higher than what the Leafs were willing to give.

But Bolland has other reasons for going to the Panthers beyond the money. The weather, for one thing. That's what he told TSN.

But there's also the Dale Tallon connection. Tallon and Bolland worked together in Chicago when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, and Bolland told Sportsnet that their history was a big part of his decision to go down south.

"I was drafted by Dale," he said. "He built that team to win that first Stanley Cup in Chicago. I feel Dale has that same chance here to build this team to be like that Chicago team."

Bolland knows he's not going to Florida to be a no. 1 center (although for that money, he should probably try to score a few goals).

"I'm going be there to be a leader," he said. "I want to be there to help some of these young guys out, make the playoffs. I'm there to be a team player, to help Florida move forward."

Might I suggest that $27.5 million over five years is a lot of money -- dare I suggest a laughable and stupid amount -- to pay for leadership?