Trade/Transfer

From a story dated June 28, the official site of the Western Michigan University athletic program reported that Lightning 2008 draftee Luke Witkowski will defer his enrollment at WMU until the 2009-2010 season. Witkowski had signed a letter of intent in November 2007.

Victoria Grizzlies General Manager Jackson Penney has informed Bolt Prospects that Lightning 2007 seventh round pick Justin Courtnall will return to the BCHL Grizzlies for another year.

Courtnall had been looking into attending an NCAA school in the fall, but those plans are on hold until the 2009-2010 season.

After starting slow last year with Victoria, Courtnall came on to finish with 19 goals and 32 assists for 51 points in 60 games - good enough for second on the club by just a point.

The winger played the previous season with Burnaby of the BCHL.

Courtnall's father, former NHLer Geoff Courtnall, is the head coach of Victoria. Lightning co-owner Len Barrie serves as the Grizzlies' president. (Times-Colonist photo)

Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune is confirming that the Tampa Bay Lightning and the San Jose Sharks are officially completing the much discussed trade of star defensemen Dan Boyle. The deal sends Boyle along with Tampa defenseman Brad Lukowich to San Jose in exchange for defenseman Matt Carle, top defensive prospect and former first rounder Ty Wishart, a 2009 1st round pick, and a 2010 4th round pick.

Six days after being traded to Philadelphia from Nashville, the Tampa Bay Lighting acquired rearguard restricted free agent prospect Janne Niskala in exchange for a 2009 6th round pick.

Michael Russo of the Minnesota Star-Tribune is reporting on his blog that the Lightning have struck a deal to acquire the rights to potential UFA winger Brian Rolston. Rolston, 35, has scored 96 goals over the course of the past three seasons with the Minnesota Wild.

UPDATE
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild have traded forward Brian Rolston to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a conditional draft pick. The Wild will get a selection in either the 2009 or 2010 draft. The pick will depend on whether Tampa Bay re-signs Rolston before they know what pick Minnesota will get in the deal. Rolston is due to become a free agent July 1, but by making the move the Lightning get a day of exclusive negotiations with the forward. He scored 31 goals and had 59 points last season. The move caps a busy weekend for the Lightning, who acquired the rights to Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts from Pittsburgh on Saturday. “As we said earlier this week and we are trying to prove after making our deal with Pittsburgh (Saturday), we will work feverishly to improve the Lightning team for the 2008-09 season,” owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie said in a joint statement. “We believe getting the Lightning a head start in the negotiating and signing process can help us secure the players we are targeting. Nothing is guaranteed here, but we hope to have a chance to get another quality player in a Lightning uniform sooner rather than later.”