Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - The Panthers sa'an nan ya fara eyeing defenceman Jay Bouwmeester, wanda aka yadu tipped da za a dauka na farko overall zabi a 2002 daftarin. Koyaya, babban manajan Rick Dudley ya aika da zaɓin farko na Florida zuwa Columbus Blue Jackets, wanda ya zaɓi winger Rick Nash, kuma a dawo, Panthers sun sami haƙƙin musayar zaɓuɓɓukan zagaye na farko tare da Blue Jackets a cikin Tsarin 2003.
, haƙƙin da ba a yi amfani da shi ba lokacin da Panthers suka sami zaɓi na farko a cikin 2003 kuma. Atlanta Thrashers, bayan da suka zabi mai tsaron gida Kari Lehtonen na biyu gaba daya, sun sanar da cewa Panthers sun ba su zabi biyu don tabbatar da cewa Bouwmeester zai kasance a shirye don zabin Florida. Bouwmeester an zaba shi na uku a gaba ɗaya ta Panthers. Sai babban kocin Mike Keenan ya ce, "Bai kamata mu yi haka ba... Jay zai kasance lamba daya idan mun kiyaye wannan zabi. "