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The Florida Panthers had money to spend in free agency, and loaded up, bringing in four forwards, one defenceman and a goaltender on the first day of free agency. . Numbers Game looks at the Panthers big first day of free agency. The Panthers Get: LW Jussi Jokinen, C Dave Bolland, C, Derek MacKenzie, RW Shawn Thornton, D Willie Mitchell, G Al Montoya. The Florida Panthers headed into the offseason giving general manager Dale Tallon more financial freedom than theyve had in recent seasons, and he wasted no time spending that money, with mixed results. Jokinen, 31, had a strong season playing on Evgeni Malkins wing in Pittsburgh, scoring 57 points in 81 games, the second-best point total of his career. That situation is not a luxury that Jokinen can count on in Florida where, despite their young talent, they have no one in Malkins class, but Jokinen has shown that he can be a productive contributor with solid possession numbers when playing with skilled players. Slot him alongside young Finn Aleksander Barkov and that has the makings of a solid two-way line and maybe Jokinen isnt likely to be scoring 50-plus points in Florida, where no one scored even 40 points last season, but Jokinen can be a useful player for at least three of the four years for which he signed, at a total cost of $16-million. Then, things got silly. Coming into free agency, there was a natural connection to make between Dave Bolland and Panthers GM Dale Tallon, given their time together in Chicago, but Bolland is a third-line centre so its really hard to justify the kind of money and term that was given. Bolland signed a five-year, $27.5-million contract, and its just flat-out outrageous. Bolland played well with the Maple Leafs last season, at least he did when he was healthy, but hes missed 142 games over the past five seasons and is coming off a season in which he missed 59 games due to a sliced ankle tendon. At his best, Bolland has been productive, scoring more than 35 points three times, and handled a lot of tough assignments in terms of zone starts and quality of competition, but assuming that hes up to that level now, after his latest injury, seems a tad optimistic and paying money and term that is more typical of a top-six forward is just really difficult to digest. For a checking centre, he also hasnt been very good at limiting shots against while killing penalties. Sure, the Panthers are nowhere near the cap now, and maybe they never will be, but its hard to take a team from being also-rans to contenders simply by paying a checking centre a boatload of money. By contrast, Paul Stastny and Thomas Vanek were the only two free agent forwards to come at a higher cap hit and neither one signed for five years. They didnt get as much term as Dave Bolland. MacKenzie, a 33-year-old checking centre, has been a reliable fourth-liner for the Blue Jackets. He had a career-high 237 hits last season and in four seasons with the Blue Jackets, hes won 54.9% of his draws. Signed for three years and $3.9-million, MacKenzie gives the Panthers good depth down the middle and it looks like Bolland and MacKenzie are going to bump prospects like Brandon Pirri and Vince Trocheck down the depth chart, presumably right out of the Top 12 unless they can fit on the wing. Shawn Thornton is a tough guy whose game has been declining in recent seasons. Hes fought 90 times over the past six seasons, but thats about what the 36-year-old (who turns 37 later this month) can do at this point. Whether thats worth more than a million dollars per season or multiple years probably has different answers for teams that arent trying to reach the salary floor. After missing the entire 2012-2013 season, Willie Mitchell had a nice comeback season, playing more than 20 minutes a night, a crucial part of the Kings second Stanley Cup win in the past three seasons. Hes 37, so not the fleetest afoot, but Mitchell has size, strength and adds a shot of reliability to the Panthers defence. In Mitchell and Brian Campbell (at least for now), the Panthers have a couple veterans that could show the way for first overall draft pick Aaron Ekblad and Mitchell, while a decent addition gets a nice payday -- two years, $8.5-million -- to eat some minutes on the Panthers blueline. Backup goaltender Al Montoya is a 29-year-old who posted a .920 save percentage in 28 games with the Jets last season. Trouble is, in the prevous two seasons, his save percentage was .894, so its not really reasonable to expect more than Montoyas career average which is .910. Adding Montoya would figure to mark the end of Dan Ellis time in Florida, though it may be difficult to find a taker for a 34-year-old coming off the worst season of his career. The Florida Panthers spent big money in the summer of 2011, overpaying a bunch of veterans in order to reach the salary floor, and this year has a similar feel to it. The issue for the Panthers is that they are a franchise that has reached the postseason once in the past 13 years; they dont need to overpay free agents as much as they need to build a stable base of talent. With all the money the Panthers spent on July 1, theres not much reason to believe any of those players are going to be long-term answers. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. . Chris Heisey connected for his first grand slam and Devin Mesoraco homered and drove in a career high-tying four runs as Cincinnati took advantage of Tampa Bays depleted pitching staff for a 12-4 victory on Sunday. .The league also seems to have a fairly active Twitter account www.twitter.com/bikinihockey that features the description “We provide a positive alternative to the hockey community and a venue for adult female hockey athletes to continue in their sport. . Bradley is one of eight players selected to the team who also played in this years World Cup in Brazil. The MLS all-stars will compete against German giants Bayern Munich in Portland on Aug.NEW YORK -- Just call him Johnny Baseball. Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 28th round of the Major League Baseball draft Saturday -- the 837th player taken. Manziel was listed as a shortstop for Texas A&M, although he never played for the Aggies as he focused on football. He hasnt played baseball since high school and probably wont see the diamond again as he embarks on his NFL career, but was happy the Padres took a swing at him. "Big thank you to the (at)Padres and (at)padresmikedee for selecting me in the MLB draft," Manziel wrote on his Twitter page. "What a great day!" Mike Dee, the Padres president and CEO, tweeted back: "Best athlete on the board... .JohnnyBaseball." Manziel, the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy in 2012, was taken by the Browns with the 22nd overall pick in the NFL draft last month. "It was kind of, Why not?" Padres general manager Josh Byrnes said Saturday before the Padres hosted the Washington Nationals. In May 2013, Manziel visited the Padres when he was in San Diego to work with a quarterbacks coach. "He certainly loves baseball," Byrnes said. "We kind of talked about it at that time, Do you want us to draft you? He said, Yeah, absolutely." Why in the 28th round? "We really liked our 27th-rounder," Byrnes said. Asked the odds of actually signing Manziel, Byrnes, a big football fan, just smiled. Manziel played baseball and football at Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas, and asked Texas A&M coaches about being part of the baseball team before winning the Aggies starting quarterback job as a redshirt freshman. Earlier this week, Manziel -- decked out in an Indians jersey -- was set to throw out the first pitch in Cleveland before the Indians played Boston. He warmed up earlier with Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin, but his toss was washed out by rain that delayed the start. But, in May 2013, Manziel took batting practice with the Padres at Petco Park and tossed out a football-style first pitch as he dropped back, scrambled to the side of the mound and floated a bootleg "pass" to San Diego outfielder Mark Kotsay, who caught it behind his back with his glove. On Manziels first swing in batting practice, the bat flew out of his hands, but he settled down and later drove a pitch off the right-field wall. "I didnt know he played baseball," Padres right-hander Ian Kennedy said Saturday. "Anybody in Texas probably plays all those sports, football, baseball." Padres closer Huston Street, who pitched at Texas and whose late father, James, played quarterback for the Longhorns, liked the pick, even if Manziel did play for the Aggies. "Im a fan. I think hes an exciting player," Street said. "I think hes good for sport. I think he plays hard. I dont know if hell ever wear a Padre uniform, but it sure is exciting that the organization took him. I know he hung out here last year a couple times and everybody really enjoyed his presence. Everybody liked him. I came away from that day thinking, Man, thats a good dude, thats a cool guy. It seemed like he was a very focused, mentally strong guy. He wanted to do something. We know what he can do in football. "Heck, if he wants to come out here and hang around before games ... I dont know if they let 28th-round picks do that," Street said. "But hes a great athlete. I dont think anybody expects to see him in the big leagues, but maybe hes going to try and do both. I dont know. If he does, hes one of the more competitive people Ive been around. Well see what happens with his football career. Hes potentially got a baseball one." Street isnt sure if Johnny Football would try both sports. "I would tell him to dont try to be a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none," Street said. "But at the same time, its been done before. I dont know about at the quarterback position. A little bit tougher position." Big-time quarterbacks are no stranger to recent Major League Baseball drafts. John Elway, Dan Marino, Tom Brady, Daunte Culpepper, Colin Kaepernick and Jake Locker were all drafted by big league teams but instead stuck too the gridiron. . . Russell Wilson of the Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks was a fifth-rounder by Baltimore out of high school in 2007, but opted to go to North Carolina State. He was a fourth-round pick of Colorado in 2010 and played in the Rockies system as a second baseman. Wilson, who had transferred to Wisconsin, told the Rockies in January 2012 that he wanted to pursue an NFL career, and in December 2013 was acquired by the Texas Rangers in the Rule 5 draft. A few weeks after winning the Super Bowl, Wilson attended Rangers spring training and participated in infield drills. Next year, Florida States Jameis Winston could be in the same situation as Manziel. The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback also is a hard-throwing closer for the Seminoles baseball team. Winston was already a 15th-round pick of the Rangers in 2012. The sons of Cal Ripken Jr. and Mariano Rivera were just a few of the other familiar names selected on the final day of the Major league Baseball draft. The sons of former big leaguers Bobby Bonilla, John Franco, Tom Browning, Benito Santiago and Magglio Ordonez were also taken as baseballs draft wrapped up Saturday after three days, 40 rounds and 1,215 players chosen. Ryan Ripken, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound first baseman from Indian River State College in Florida, was taken in the 15th round by Washington. The lefty-hitting son of baseballs "Iron Man" batted .321 with one homer and 24 RBIs in 42 games this season after transferring from South Carolina, where he did not make the roster and redshirted. "I think theres immense pressure on that young man," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "Its too bad, but I think he handles it really well. You know, dad, uncle, grandfather, great bloodlines, great work ethic." Mariano Rivera III, a starting pitcher at Iona College, went to the Yankees -- his fathers old team -- in the 29th round. He went 2-6 with a 5.40 ERA and five complete games and a team-leading 50 strikeouts in 70 innings for the Gaels. Yankees manager Joe Girardi asked his former closer for a scouting report on his son. "Mo wasnt sure if he got drafted what he would do," Girardi said before the Yankees played the Royals in Kansas City. "But I think its neat he got drafted by the Yankees and well see what happens." It was a big draft for sons and siblings of major league players, starting with Florida high school shortstop Nick Gordon -- son of Tom "Flash" Gordon and brother of the Dodgers Dee Gordon -- going fifth overall to Minnesota on Thursday night. Brandon Bonilla, a left-handed pitcher from Grand Canyon University, went in the 25th round to Baltimore. The son of former All-Star Bobby Bonilla and godson of Barry Bonds has a fastball that hits the mid-90s. Brown second baseman J.J. Franco, the son of former Mets and Reds closer John Franco, was a 38th-round pick by the Braves. Florida high school lefty Logan Browning went in the 36th round to the Reds, the team for which father Tom once pitched a perfect game. Benito Santiago Jr. is a star behind the plate, just like his dad, was drafted in the 38th round by San Francisco. He was a batterymate of first-rounder Touki Toussaint at Floridas Coral Springs Christian Academy. Florida high school first baseman Magglio Ordonez Jr. went in the 38th round to Detroit, where his father played for seven years. Bradley Wilpon, the son of Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon, was a 36th-round choice of Boston. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flaccos younger brother Tom, a high school outfielder from New Jersey, was a 32nd-round selection of Philadelphia. Several other players with big-league bloodlines were drafted Saturday, including: Drew Stankiewicz (son of Andy, 11th round, Phillies); Kevin Cron (brother of Angels C.J., 14th round, Diamondbacks); Lukas Schiraldi (son of Calvin, 15th round, Mariners); Jed Sprague (son of Ed, 37th round, White Sox); James Lynch (son of Ed, 39th round, Blue Jays); and Grayson Byrd (son of Paul, 39th round, Braves). Houston, which had the first overall pick for the third straight year, took California high school lefty Brady Aiken at No. 1 on Thursday night. ' ' '

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