It looks like the wheels are in motion for the Florida Panthers to buy out defenseman Ed Jovanovski. The team placed him on buyout waivers on Sunday, so he's almost certainly going to go through that process. The banged-up veteran blueliner has one season remaining on a deal that carries a $4.125 million cap hit.

There is still a chance that 38-year-old defenseman Ed Jovanovksi's contract could be bought out by the Panthers. The veteran rearguard made a courageous comeback from a serious hip injury last season but there may not be any room for him on the Florida blueline should Aaron Ekblad make the Panthers out of training camp. Jovocop has one year left on his deal and would like to return. For now, GM Dale Tallon stated that nothing has changed in regard to Jovanovski's status. Stay tuned.

Peter Laviolette is one of three candidates on Florida GM Dale Tallon's short list to coach the Panthers next season. Laviolette, who is coaching Team U.S.A. at the World Championships that start next week, has many connections to Tallon. There will be competition for Laviolette's services, though. The Predators will likely also be one of his suitors.

The Florida Panthers is interested in trading the first overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. "I'm open for business," Panthers GM Dale Tallon said. "You have three options, you either take it, move back, or trade it. So that's what we're looking at. What's the best deal for our future, that's the key." Tallon went on to specify that he plans to actively shop the pick rather than just wait to see what offers come his way. The Panthers already have a young core and there's no clear top pick in this year's draft, so it's not hard to see why Florida would be interested in a trade.

Harvey Fialkov of the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel feels Ed Jovanovski was snubbed for a nomination for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. He contends that Jovanovski is "believed to be the first professional athlete in the four major team sports in the U.S. to make it back from major hip surgery, a technique called hip resurfacing or one step below a complete hip replacement." The 37-year-old blueliner appeared in 37 games with the Panthers this past season. He contributed five points, while serving as a leader for a young group off and on the ice.

Ed Jovanovski isn't sure if he'll be back next year to play out the final season of his contract. "I'll sit down with [Tallon] in the next couple of week and look at next year," he said. "No one's pointing a gun to each other's head to make decisions right now. I have another year on my contract. I want to play. Can I is a different situation." He missed 41 games this season after a hip resurfacing procedure.

Florida Panthers veteran defenseman Ed Jovanovski received a $5,000 fine for his hit on Columbus Blue Jackets forward Corey Tropp. Jovanovski receive a five-minute major and game misconduct during the game itself, giving his limited fantasy owners 15 PIM on Saturday. This is a JFYI as he's past the point of being one of fantasy's better defensive options.

Ed Jovanovski didn't play Sunday to avoid playing on back-to-back nights. He's expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday, so the Panthers will probably return emergency recall Ryan Whitney to the minors before then.

Ed Jovanovski was made a healthy scratch on Sunday for maintenance reasons. The Panthers were playing the second contest of a back-to-back situation and they didn't want to overwork their veteran captain. Jovanovski has appeared in 19 games this season after returning from hip surgery.

Ed Jovanovski is urging his teammates to play with an edge. "If we don't have that edge we're a very mediocre team. .I think [we have to] just played [ticked] off, knowing where we are in the standings and wan to win," Jovanovski said. He's the team captain, but his ability to help the Panthers had been limited because he missed the first three months of the season due to a hip injury. He has four points in 14 contests in 2013-14.