As a part of the club's increased interest in player development under new GM Steve Yzerman, the Lightning have announced the hiring of former NHLer Steve Thomas as a Player Development Consultant. According to the Lightning's press release, the retired sniper, "will oversee the development of the Lightning’s prospects in the junior and college ranks. He will provide guidance, mentoring and support to players in the Tampa Bay system to better prepare them for professional hockey." In 1,235 career NHL games, Thomas compiled 421 goals and 933 points in stints with six NHL teams including the Maple Leafs, Islanders, and Red Wings.

(Tampa Bay Lightning press release) The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired right wing Alex Berry and forward Stefano Giliati from the Toronto Maple Leafs today in exchange for defenseman Matt Lashoff, Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman announced.

Berry, 6-foot-2, 212 pounds, played in 55 games with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies last season, recording three goals and seven points. His 97 penalty minutes ranked sixth among all Marlies skaters. Berry has played in 63 career AHL games during the previous two seasons.

(Tampa Bay Lightning press release) The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed free agent defenseman Randy Jones to a one-year contract today, Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman announced.

“Randy is a skilled defenseman, capable of playing in all situations on both the right and left side,” Yzerman said. “His addition gives us some needed depth on the blue line."

Jones, 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, has played in 265 career NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Los Angeles Kings. He has amassed 18 goals, three power-play goals, three game-winning goals and 90 points. Last season he played in 48 games with the Kings, recording five goals and 21 points. His five goals tied his career high and he ranked third among Los Angeles defenders in goals, assists and points.

TSN is reporting that the Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed restricted free agent forward Steve Downie to a two-year, $3.7M contract. Last season, Downie had a break-out year tallying 22 goals and adding 24 assists playing mostly on a top line with Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis.

With the Downie signing, the Lightning have just Paul Ranger as the lone unsigned restricted free agent, but his status for returning to hockey after sitting out the 2009-10 season for personal reasons remains questionable. After the recent free agent signings of Dominic Moore and Sean Bergenheim, GM Steve Yzerman's next priority is expected to be getting Rocket Richard trophy winner Steven Stamkos to sign a contract extension. His entry-level contract expires at the end of the 2010-11 season.

According to the Wichita Falls Times Record News and the Wichita Falls NAHL hockey club, the AHL's Norfolk Admirals have added Mike Flanagan as an assistant coach to Jon Cooper's staff. Flanagan was the interim coach for Wichita Falls last year, going 8-11-1 in his brief time as the head coach. He was less than a month away from beginning the season with the Wildcats.

While nothing has been made official yet from Tampa Bay or Norfolk, both press releases state Cooper coached with Flanagan while part of the St. Louis Bandits (NAHL) staff in 2006-2007. The Bandits won the Robertson Cup that year. The two men coached against each other earlier in their careers when Flanagan coached the Grand Rapids Owls and Cooper the Metro Jets in the CSHL.