Lightning Strikes (Cristodero)

It may not happen right away, but it looks more and more as if the Tampa Bay Lightning will use trades to acquire a backup goalie and, perhaps, another wing, ideally one who has the potential to score 20 goals. But the backup goalie is the priority as I'm sure no one wants to go into the season with Riku Helenius behind Mike Smith. Nothing against Helenius. He may turn out to be a great pro. He's just not ready yet.

So, why did the Lightning not sign a backup goalie on the first day of free agency? If you check the signings, you don't see one-year contracts for netminders. Andif you believe Karri Ramo will be back after next season (as his two-year contract stipulates he can be),  Tampa Bay perhaps wants a guy it can keeparound for one year until Ramo gets back.

It's better for the bottom line, too, to unload some players before taking on more payroll.

It's not hard to figure out the Lightning has a lot of defensemen, which means it has some pieces with which to play. The Lightning will not get rid of its most attractive players but it would have to deal someone from that group who has appeal around the league. Is Lukas Krajicek a possibility? He is signed for about $1.5 million for next season, and while he adds experience, he was not as gritty a player as coach Rick Tocchet likes. 

As for forwards, that's a little trickier, though it seems the team has some depth at center with players such as Ryan Craig, Paul Szczechura and even Zenon Konopka, who has a one-waycontract next season (as does wing Brandon Bochenski, by the way). Add Vinny Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos and Jeff Halpern, and, well, you have some depth from which to deal.

Lecavalier and Stamkos aren't going anywhere (especially for a backup goalie or wing), Craig and his creaky knees might be tough to move, Szczechura has a friendly contract and the instincts to be an NHL player, thoughhe has to score more to complement his sturdy defense. Halpern could be intriguing. He is set to make $2 million next season and has the experience and track record that could make him attractive. Of course, he could be an attractive third-line option for Tampa Bay, too, and we've seen what he can do when he is healthy. I'm just throwing his name out there because of his contract and because, well, you usually have to give something to get something in a trade.

By no means am I predicting anything. Just trying to consider the options. We'll see.  

There were a few moments this week when general manager Brian Lawton spoke about the Tampa Bay Lightning acting like a real organization. That is, he said he was, as commissioner Gary Bettman has mandated, able to make the hockey decisions, which, really, is what is supposed to happen.

The draft and free agency were the first real tests for the Lightning after Bettman called squabbling owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie into the principal's office and told them that Lawton was in charge of all hockey-related transactions. That did not mean Koules and Barrie were out of the loop, it just meant Lawton was the one authorized to make contractual offers and do trades; you know, the things a GM are supposed to do.

Lawton, after talking about Victor Hedman and about signing defensemen Mattias Ohlund and Matt Walker, said things went pretty much to plan.

"Just to have that clarity makes my job a lot easier," he said. "Ultimately, I'm only as good as the authority I have. If that wavers in any way shape or form, that job becomes next to impossible and, quite frankly, I  wouldn't even want to do that job."

As for the overall structure under which Tampa Bay is now operating, Lawton said, "It operates like all other organizations. The owners are involved. They are consulted about everything. But they have to give me the authority to do what I see as the best course of action for this organization. They've done that with the caveat that if things don't go well, I probably won't be here. Ultimately, that's all I ask is the opportunity to make decisions for hockey operations, and to be judged on those decisions."

Just like any other organization.

"At the end of the day, our organization is built on teamwork and support, but there still has to be somewhere where the buck stops, otherwise there's no accountability and a lack of responsibility. Everybody has ideas. I take everybody's opinions seriously. But at the end of the day there has to be a clear vision. Let the GM be the GM. Let the players play. Let the owners own."

No hard feelings. That was the message from Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos upon learning he was not one of 46 Canadian players invited to the Olympic orientation camp.

"It's obviously a little tough, but you have to realize the situation with me being 19 years old," Stamkos said. "I wasn't expecting to make that team by any means. Look at past history. Sidney Crospby didn't play (in Torino in 2006). I'm not comparing myself to him, but the mentality that the Olympic roster is usually guys who are experienced, especially in Canada. It's so hard to make that team with the talent Canadian players have."

Even so, teammate Vinny Lecavalier, who was invited, along with Marty St. Louis, said Stamkos, after scoring seven goals for silver-medal Canada in the world championship, deserved a spot.

"He deserves a chance," Lecavalier said. "The fact that maybe he's a young guy, maybe they overlooked him. But the way he finished the season, and the way he played in the world championship, he definitely should go there and get his chance."

Stamkos, whose 23 goals last season set a Lightning rookie record, has been working out in the Toronto area with former teammate Gary Roberts. While he admitted the Olympics experience probably would have done "a lot of good for the future," he reiterated, "It's not a shock to me I wasn't on there. It would have been nice, but I didn't expect to be there. If I was, great, but it's not the end of the world."

There still is a chance Stamkos will be invited. There is speculation Joe Sakic might retire, leaving a spot open for a center. And Team Canada GM Steve Yzerman said during a conference call, "If he (Stamkos) comes out of the gate strong, he'll be a player I'll watch."

"He's definitely on the radar," Lightning GM Brian Lawton said. "It's just so tough with so many talented players."

Here is the updated roster for the prospects camp that is July 8-15 at the St. Pete Times Forum. The camp includes a scrimmage at 7 p.m. July 11 that is free and open to the public. Goaltenders: Riku Helenius,... Damian Cristodero

Here is the updated roster for the prospects camp that is July 8-15 at the St. Pete Times Forum. The camp includes a scrimmage at 7 p.m. July 11 that is free and open to the public.

Goaltenders: Riku Helenius, Dustin Tokarski, Jaroslav Janus, Bryan Mountain, Michael Zador.

Defensemen: Mark Barberio, Erik Gustafsson, Victor Hedman, Scott Jackson, Vladimir Mihalik, Kevin Quick, Ty Wishart, Luke Witkowski.

Forwards: Carter Ashton, Kyle De Coste, Mitch Fadden, Tommy Grant, Alex Hutchings, Alexander Killorn, Chris Lawrence, Matt Marshall, Matt Read, Juraj Simek, Dana Tyrell, James Wright.

No hard feelings. That was the message from Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos upon learning he was not one of 46 Canadian players invited to the Olympic orientation camp. "It's obviously a little tough, but you have to realize... Damian Cristodero

Two Cents' Tom Jones brings you the news of the day, and let's you know the stories we're currently working on. Times Editor

Two Cents' Tom Jones brings you the news of the day, and let's you know the stories we're currently working on.

Here's the announcement from the team:

Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis have been invited to Canada ’s National Men’s Team orientation camp in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Hockey Canada announced.  The camp will be held August 24-27 in Calgary , Alberta .

Lecavalier, a native of Ile Bizard, :placeQuebec , played in 77 games with the Lightning last season, recording 29 goals and 67 points.  It was his sixth consecutive season with 25 goals or more.  Lecavalier led :placeTampa Bay in power play goals with 10, game-winning goals with six and shots on goal with 291.  He was second on the team in goals and points.  Lecavalier also made his fourth career NHL All-Star Game appearance in his home city of :placeMontreal .

The 29-year-old has played in 787 career games, all with the Lightning.  He is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (787), goals (302), assists (367), points (669), power play goals (85) and game-winning goals (47).  He became the first 300-goal scorer in Tampa Bay history on March 1 at Calgary last season.

Lecavalier previously represented Canada :country-region at the 2006 Winter Olympics in :placeTorino , Italy .  He played in six games, recording three assists.  Lecavalier also played in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, tallying two goals and seven points as :placeCanada won the tournament.  He played in the 2001 World Championships, recording three goals and five points in seven games, and the 1998 World Junior Championships, registering a goal and two points in seven games.

St. Louis , a native of Laval , Quebec , was one of two Lightning players to play in all 82 games in 2008-09.  He led :placeTampa Bay in goals with 30, assists with 50 and points with 80.  He was also tied for second for plus/minus with a plus-4 rating and third in average time on ice with 21:17.  St. Louis now has 30 goals or more in five of the previous six seasons.

The 34-year-old ranks second on the Lightning all-time franchise lists for games played with 621, points with 565, goals with 234, power play goals with 69 and game-winning goals with 40.  He is the all-time leader in shorthanded goals with 27.

St. Louis has been a regular with Hockey Canada in international competition during the previous five years.  He participated in the 2009 World Championships, the 2008 World Championships, the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.  Most recently he led the 2009 World Championships in points with 15 and assists with 11.  St. Louis was tied for third in the tournament in plus/minus with a plus-8.  He tallied two goals and three points in six games during the 2006 Winter Olympics.

The Hockey Canada management group, comprised of executive director Steve Yzerman, Hockey Canada executive vice-president of hockey operations Misley, Hockey Canada president/CEO Bob Nicholson and associate directors Doug Armstrong (Sarnia, Ont./St. Louis, NHL), Ken Holland (Vernon, B.C./Detroit, NHL) and Kevin Lowe (Lachute, Que./Edmonton, NHL), assembled the list in collaboration with the coaching staff comprised of Babcock (Saskatoon, Sask./Detroit, NHL) and associate coaches Jacques Lemaire (LaSalle, Que.), Lindy Ruff (Warburg, Alta./Buffalo, NHL) and Ken Hitchcock (Edmonton, Alta./Columbus, NHL).

Players not invited to the National Men’s Team orientation camp can still be considered for both the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and 2010 IIHF World Championship.

Roster

Goaltenders (5): Martin Brodeur ( Montreal , Que./New Jersey, NHL), Marc-André Fleury ( Sorel , Que./Pittsburgh, NHL), Roberto Luongo ( Montreal , Que./Vancouver, NHL), Steve Mason ( Oakville , Ont./Columbus, NHL), Cam Ward ( Sherwood Park , Alta./Carolina, NHL)

Defensemen (16): François Beauchemin (Sorel, Que./Anaheim, NHL), Jay Bouwmeester (Edmonton, Alta./Calgary, NHL), Dan Boyle (Ottawa, Ont./San Jose, NHL), Brent Burns (Ajax, Ont./Minnesota, NHL), Drew Doughty (London, Ont./Los Angeles, NHL), Mike Green (Calgary, Alta./Washington, NHL), Dan Hamhuis (Smithers, B.C./Nashville, NHL), Duncan Keith (Penticton, B.C./Chicago, NHL), Scott Niedermayer (Cranbrook, B.C./Anaheim, NHL), Dion Phaneuf (Edmonton, Alta./Calgary, NHL), Chris Pronger (Dryden, Ont./Philadelphia, NHL), Robyn Regehr (Rosthern, Sask./Calgary, NHL), Stéphane Robidas (Sherbrooke, Que./Dallas, NHL), Brent Seabrook (Tsawwassen, B.C./Chicago, NHL), Marc Staal (Thunder Bay, Ont./N.Y. Rangers, NHL), Shea Weber (Sicamous, B.C./Nashville, NHL)

Forwards (25): Jeff Carter (London, Ont./Philadelphia, NHL), Dan Cleary (Carboneau, N.L./Detroit, NHL), Sidney Crosby (Cole Harbour, N.S./Pittsburgh, NHL), Shane Doan (Halkirk, Alta./Phoenix, NHL), Simon Gagné (Ste-Foy, Que./Philadelphia, NHL), Ryan Getzlaf (Regina, Sask./Anaheim, NHL), Dany Heatley (Calgary, Alta./Ottawa, NHL), Jarome Iginla (St. Albert, Alta./Calgary, NHL), Vincent Lecavalier (Île-Bizard, Que./Tampa Bay, NHL) , Milan Lucic (Vancouver, B.C./Boston, NHL), Patrick Marleau (Aneroid, Sask./San Jose, NHL), Andy McDonald (Strathroy, Ont./St. Louis, NHL), Brenden Morrow (Carlyle, Sask./Dallas, NHL), Rick Nash (Brampton, Ont./Columbus, NHL), Corey Perry (Peterborough, Ont./Anaheim, NHL), Michael Richards (Kenora, Ont./Philadelphia, NHL), Derek Roy (Rockland, Ont./Buffalo, NHL), Joe Sakic (Burnaby, B.C./Colorado, NHL), Patrick Sharp (Thunder Bay, Ont./Chicago, NHL), Ryan Smyth (Banff, Alta./Colorado, NHL), Martin St.Louis (Laval, Que./Tampa Bay, NHL) , Eric Staal (Thunder Bay, Ont./Carolina, NHL), Jordan Staal (Thunder Bay, Ont./Pittsburgh, NHL), Joe Thornton (St. Thomas, Ont./San Jose, NHL), Jonathan Toews (Winnipeg, Man./Chicago, NHL).

Here's the announcement from the team: Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis have been invited to Canada ’s National Men’s Team orientation camp in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Hockey Canada announced. The camp... Damian Cristodero

I can't say anything about Matt Walker that isn't better illustrated by this video clip. Copy the address into your address bar. http://watch.tsn.ca/nhl/clip185200#clip185200 Damian Cristodero

I can't say anything about Matt Walker that isn't better illustrated by this video clip. Copy the address into your address bar.

http://watch.tsn.ca/nhl/clip185200#clip185200

Here is some of Mattias Ohlund's conference call with reporters: Opening statement: I think it’s a great opportunity for me. I was ecstatic when they called and I felt from the beginning this is the place I wanted to be.... Damian Cristodero

Here is some of Mattias Ohlund's conference call with reporters:

Opening statement: I think it’s a great opportunity for me. I was ecstatic when they called and I felt from the beginning this is the place I wanted to be. It felt right and felt like something I wanted to be part of. Having said that I’m also grateful for the 11 years I played with Vancouver. It’s a great place to play. It’s a great organization. I made a lot of friends there, friends for life. But having said that I felt it was time for me to move on and I’m excited about the future.

On mentoring draft choice Victor Hedman: I’m real excited about joining him. I never met victor to be honest but I heard so many good things about him. I was sitting tonight with Daniel and Henrik Sedin and they’re from the same hometown and know him quite well. They had nothing but good things to say about him as a person and a hockey player.

On Hedman’s reputation in Sweden: Victor has a great reputation. He’s from the same town as a lot of NHL hockey players. The Sedins (Daniel and Henrik) and Markus Naslund are three of them. I spoke to the three of them about him and hear only good things about him. I’ve barely seen him play. I saw the world junior championships a few games they played and noticed he was an extremely skilled player. I heard only good things about him as a person and I’m looking forward spending the next few years with him.

On creating a relationship with Hedman: You make a phone call. I’m sure I’m going to be calling him and talking to him the next few days after things settle down. You share your experiences you had when you were younger. I made mistakes when I was young and hopefully I learned from them and I can prevent him from making th same ones. It’s a tough league to play in he’s got a lot to learn. I’m excited to be a small part of getting him started here.

Advice he would give Hedman: First of all realize how lucky we all are to be in this league. It’s a great league to be part of. Come in with a smile on his face regardless of whether he had a tough day the night before. You got to realize your extremely lucky to be part of this league.

Is he a good fit for Tampa?: Tampa has a very talented hockey team. They have a talented group of guys. I do think I can help out with a lot of experience and be a big part of helping their D corps. I feel like I have my best years ahead of me and I’m extremely excited about my next little while here.

Is there a mental adjustment going to a bad team?: This team won a Stanley Cup not too far away and they have some guys who were part of that team. Last year they didn’t have a great year. Obviously, I’d like to be part of turning things around here, and I do feel like I bring a lot to the hockey club. But in fairness, we only played them once last year and I haven’t seen them play over the years tons. I do feel like I can be part of hopefully bringing this team on the right track again.

When did he realize he needed to leave the Canucks?: I felt maybe last year that, in this business when you have a year left or just over a year left, you realize you might be heading in this direction to unrestricted free agency and we had some discussions but in all honesty I never really felt a big interest from their side. I might be wrong. I think it was mutual. I felt I needed a change. I had a great 11 years I have no hard feelings. But I just felt I needed a change. I’m not sure exactly when that happened but it was a while back.

It’s going to be a big change but I’m excited about it. I’m curious how it’s going to be. I haven’t spent a lot of time down there and I know it’s going to be different. Positive thoughts and I’m looking forward to it.

What will he miss about Vancouver?: It’s a fantastic place to live. We raised two wonderful kids in Vancouver and they have a lot of friends and we have a lot of friends we met through our kids’ schools and stuff, and we’re going to miss that. But that’s part of life. Just because you move to a different city, you won’t keep your friends. I met a lot of people in Vancouver I know I’m going to be in contact with the rest of our lives.

How did GM Brian Lawton sell you on Tampa?: Brian spoke about there team and the city of Tampa and it’s a very talented hockey club, and I do feel like I can bring a lot to this hockey team with my experience. I’m 32 years old I feel like I have my best years ahead of me and to be able to help Victor Hedman out is an important part of my job. So there’s a lot of stuff I’m excited about.

Is Tampa Bay's ownership situation troublesome?:: No, I spoke to Brian and I felt like this was a good situation for me. I felt this was the team that wanted me and wanted me to be a big part of the organization and that’s all I needed to hear.

I do feel like I have my best years ahead of me and I’m going to push to get better and better every year. If I can help some young guys out with my experience, that’s great.

There were plenty of rumors floating around that the Lightning was bidding for high-scoring wing Marian Hossa. In fact, Hossa's agent Ritch Winter said it on the record. But GM Brian Lawton said no offer was made through his office.

"I can assure you, the Tampa Bay Lightning did not make any offers to Marian Hossa. It is absolutely not true," Lawton said.

Something to consider: Hossa signed a 12-year, $62.8 million deal with Chicago. With all the other needs the Lightning has, it is difficult to believe the financially troubled club would have the ability to come up with that kind of package. 

The twist here is Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier apparently heard the rumors as well and confirmed he called Hossa. Lecavalier, communicating by text, did not elaborate, but his agent Kent Hughes said his client told Hossa, "I don't know what your situation is, but if you are considering Tampa, it's a great spot and we'd love to have you."

The Tampa Bay Lightning further solidified its blue line by signing defenseman Matt Walker, formerly of the Blackhawks, to a four-year deal at $1.7 million per season, owner Oren Koules said.

This comes after the signing earlier in the day of Mattias Ohlund. The two signings, plus the addition of draft choice Victor Hedman, have given the Lightning a much more professional defense very quickly.

Walker, 29, is a 6-foot-3, 213-pounder, who plays a mostly defensive game but is savvy enough to kill penalties. He also plays a somewhat rugged game and had 79 penalty minutes in 65 games. His 13 assists and 14 points last season also were career highs.

"We're so happy," Koules said in a text. "Adding Hedman, Walker and Ohlund should help our D immensely."

Koules said the team is done shopping for the day -- "taking a breath," he said -- but did not rule out more moves in the future.

From the team:

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed veteran defenseman Matt Walker to a multi-year contract today, Executive Vice President and General Manager Brian Lawton announced.   Walker joins Mattias Ohlund as free agent signings aimed at bolstering the Bolts blue line as the team prepares for the 2009-10 season.

“Matt is the big, physical, intimidating presence that we lacked on the blue line last season,” said :placeLawton upon making the announcement today. “He is a high-character, team-first player and he demonstrated that last season, going right back in a playoff game after suffering an ugly, ugly broken finger. He is just the type of player that we were looking for to fill a specific defensive need.” 

Walker , a 6-foot-3, 214-pound native of Beaverlodge , Alberta , played in 65 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season, recording one goal, a career-high 13 assists and a career-high 14 points to go along with 79 penalty minutes. He also played in 17 postseason games for Chicago , recording two assists and 14 penalty minutes as the Blackhawks advanced to the Western Conference Finals against the Detroit Red Wings.

Originally drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the third round, 83 rd overall, of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Walker played four seasons for the St. Louis Blues before joining :placeChicago last season as a free agent. In his five NHL seasons, Walker has played 240 games with two goals, 23 assists and 354 penalty minutes. He has 21 games of NHL postseason experience.

All you need to know about how the Tampa Bay Lightning feels about signing free agent defenseman Mattias Ohlund is the response from owner Oren Koules.

"It's done. Yahoo," was his text message.

The contract is seven years at an average of $3.75 million per season for a total of $26.25 million.

This is a very good signing for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Not only does Mattias Ohlund, formerly of the Canucks, play the gritty, tough game Tampa Bay lacks, he will be a mentor to draft choice and fellow Swede Victor Hedman.

Ohlund, 6 feet 2, 227 pounds,  had six goals and 19 assists in 82 games for Vancouver last season. He also had a career-high 105 penalty minutes and a career-high three fights. Granted, Ohlund's contract is a long one for a 32-year-old, but the contract is undoubtedly front-loaded. The full details are to come.

Here is the announcement from the team:

The Tampa Bay Lightning signed free agent defenseman Mattias Ohlund to a multi-year contract today, Executive Vice President and General Manager Brian Lawton announced.  Ohlund will be looked upon to solidify and lead the Lightning’s young, developing defensive corps. 
 
“We are thrilled Mattias elected to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning today,” said Lawton upon making the announcement. “With so many options in front of him, having him elect to play in Tampa demonstrates the faith he has in our team’s strategy and vision for success, which should be exciting for our fans. This signing accomplished two primary goals for us. First, we have added the top-two defenseman we coveted to lead our blue line and second, we have found a leader and a mentor for Victor Hedman as he prepares to play in the NHL this fall.” 
 
Ohlund, 6-foot-2, 227 pounds, has skated in 770 career NHL games, all with Vancouver.  He has amassed 93 career goals and 325 points with 36 power play goals and 19 game-winning goals.  Ohlund is the Canucks’ all-time leader in goals by a defenseman and led the team in ice time during the 2006-07 (24:47) and 2007-08 (23:46) seasons.  He was named to the NHL All-Star game in 1998-99 and the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1997-98.  Ohlund was also recognized by his team, earning the Canucks’ Most Outstanding Defenseman award in 2005-06 and 1999-00.
 
A native of Pitea, Sweden, Ohlund has played in 52 career playoff games, recording nine goals and 28 points.  He is tied for 11th overall on the Vancouver all-time playoff points list.
 
Ohlund, 32, played in all 82 games for the Vancouver Canucks last season, recording six goals and 25 points.  He ranked third on the team in points among defensemen and second in plus/minus with a plus-14 rating.  Ohlund also led the team in hits with 152, was third overall in average ice time with 21:34 per game and was fourth in hits with 109.  He also played in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games, recording a goal and three points.
 
A Swedish national, Ohlund has represented his country in three separate Olympic Games.  He won the Gold Medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics and also participated in 2002 and 1998.  Ohlund also played in the 2001 (Bronze), 1998 (Gold) and 1997 (Silver) World Championships, the 2004 World Cup, as well as the 1996 (Silver), 1995 (Bronze) and 1994 (Silver) World Junior Championships.

The Lightning has re-signed defenseman Lukas Krajicek to a one-year deal.

Krajicek, a 6-foot-2, 196-pound native of Prostejov, Czech Republic, had two goals and 19 points in in 71 games with the Lightning last season. He led all Tampa Bay defensemen in assists and points while also ranking second in blocked shots with 90.

“Lukas is one of the elite skating defensemen in the NHL and he played admirably for us last season in a difficult blueline situation,” Lightning GM Brian Lawton said in a news release. “We are pleased to sign him for the 2009-10 season and we look forward to seeing for training camp.”

The Lightning has re-signed defenseman Lukas Krajicek to a one-year deal. Krajicek, a 6-foot-2, 196-pound native of Prostejov, Czech Republic, had two goals and 19 points in in 71 games with the Lightning last season. He led all Tampa Bay... Times Editor

The Tampa Bay Lightning further solidified its blue line by signing defenseman Matt Walker, formerly of the Blackhawks, to a four-year deal at $1.7 million per season, owner Oren Koules said. This comes after the signing earlier in the day... Damian Cristodero