Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: The Panthers akabva atanga kutarisa mudziviriri Jay Bouwmeester, uyo aifungidzirwa zvikuru kuti aizosarudzwa somunhu wokutanga pakusarudzwa kwose paDraft ya2002. Zvisinei, maneja mukuru panguva iyoyo Rick Dudley akatumira Florida yekutanga sarudzo kuColumbus Blue Jackets, iyo yakasarudza winger Rick Nash, uye mukudzoka, maPanthers akagamuchira kodzero yekutengeserana kwekutanga-kutenderera sarudzo neBlue Jackets mu
2003 Draft, kodzero iyo isina kushandiswa apo maPanthers akagamuchira sarudzo yekutanga yakazara muna 2003 zvakare. Atlanta Thrashers, mushure mekusarudza muchengeti wepagedhi Kari Lehtonen wechipiri chose, vakazivisa kuti maPanthers akavapa sarudzo mbiri dzekusarudza kuti vavimbise kuti Bouwmeester achiri kuwanikwa pakusarudzwa kweFlorida. Bouwmeester akasarudzwa wechitatu chose chose nePanthers. Murairidzi mukuru panguva iyoyo Mike Keenan akati, "Hatina kufanira kuita izvozvo... Jay angadai akava nhamba-imwe kudai takanga tachengeta chisarudzo ichocho".