Panthers owner: Pirri dealt to avoid paying arbitrator's price

It was the threat of arbitration that spooked the Florida Panthers into moving Brandon Pirri at the trade deadline.

Co-owner Douglas Cifu confirmed what most pundits deduced in their unpacking of the oddly modest sixth-round pick the Panthers accepted in return from the Anaheim Ducks for the former 22-goal scorer. Cifu told the Sun Sentinal's Harvey Fialkov on Thursday that once the club decided Pirri wasn't going to be a top-six contributor moving forward, it chose to avoid having an arbitrator-awarded salary on its books.

Pirri likely won't hit the 20-goal threshold for the second time, but with three goals and five points in eight games since joining Anaheim, he's established a new career high in points.