 | HTR Feature Article: HEADED FOR DIVORCE? |
 Elliotte Friedman
Hotstover Pierre LeBrun’s weekly ESPN blatherings included more rumblings that Vincent Lecavalier is unhappy in Tampa. I have no doubt Pierre is correct. Lecavalier simply does not trust Lightning management/ownership after everything that happened last year. No matter what anyone connected with that franchise says - number four was available for trade.
That said, someone he trusts must tell him to get over his funk. He’s playing himself off the Canadian Olympic team. He’s hurting his reputation around the league. Rick Tocchet raised eyebrows by giving him less than four minutes in the first period in Philly on Nov. 2, but if you check his ice time since then, it’s been consistently around the 20-minute mark.
The Lightning outraged its fan base last winter as it turned L’Affaire Lecavalier into a fiasco. I never thought I’d write or say this, but I think it’s best for both the franchise and the player to sit down and figure out how to give everyone a fresh start.
Fans in Tampa might not like the thought of a Lecavalier-less Lightning, but, if you really look at it, the team has two terrific building blocks for the future. Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman are going to be big stars in this league. High-quality people like Martin St. Louis, Mattias Ohlund and Ryan Malone are mentoring them. This might come as a huge surprise, but Tampa doesn’t need Lecavalier like it used to.
He might not like hearing that (although I think he’s got better things to do than read this blog), but Lecavalier, too, needs a fresh start. His career needs rejuvenation. Plus, his no-trade means he controls his future. He can pick the spot. Would he really like to go to Montreal? Los Angeles would definitely be interested. Would the Rangers eat contracts to put him next to Marian Gaborik and re-unite him with John Tortorella?
With his veto power, Lecavalier can find out.
The Lightning would have to be realistic about this. In return, it would probably have to take a bad contract of shorter length and accept that it probably wouldn’t receive high-end prospects or picks. It will save them $7.7 million in cap room, helping take care of Stamkos and Hedman when it’s time.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/blogs/2009/12/roys_regal_return_lecavaliers.html
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| "HEADED FOR DIVORCE?" | Login/Create an Account | 82 comments |
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Re: HEADED FOR DIVORCE? (Score: 1)
by THENOTORIOUS (Bigpoppa@yahoo.ca) on Tuesday, December 08
(User Info | Send a Message) | I wrote the same kind of article twice the last couple weeks and it never got posted, it was a rumor i read about on TRICOLORE.CA, apparently the Lightning offered walker and Lecavalier for Hamrlik,the Ks and Avstin ,but was there any truth to that rumor???
But it is true that the Lightning will have to take a bad contract in return but that contact would be shorter.
How about Gomez, 1st rounder in 2010, 1st in 2011 for Lecavalier and a 2nd rounder in 2010? Gomez will only have 4 years remaining on his contract compared to Lecavalier who still have 9 years left to his , plus the habs 1st rounder in 2010 could very weel be in the top 10 if not top 5, I think that this trade would be good for both teams?
Or how about Lecavalier and Ranger to Washington for Semin, Alzner and a 1st rounder?
Either way it looks like Lecavalier's days in Tampa are counted regardless of where he goes. I would really love to see him in an Habs uniform with a "C" on it.
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Re: HEADED FOR DIVORCE? (Score: 1)
by palindrom on Tuesday, December 08
(User Info | Send a Message) | Brian Savage - Seigei Zholtok - Oleg Petrov
Sergei Berezin - Patric Poulin - Mariusz Czerkawski
Benoit Brunet - joe juneau - Andreas Dackell
Turner Stevenson - Juha Lind - Pierre Dagenais
Peter Popovic - Barry Ritcher
Igor Ulanov - Karl Dykhuis
Patric Traverse - Scott Lachance
Eric Fichaud
Frederic Chabot
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Re: HEADED FOR DIVORCE? (Score: 1)
by DandoEagle on Tuesday, December 08
(User Info | Send a Message) | the kostisins, gorges and dan kyisto for lacalvaier
the kostisins are elite high end skilled top end forwards who can skate good. they just need a change in seenery and it would be a good fit for tampa. not every one can play in the pressure cooking atmostphere like montreal. but they are big talents who could fit nice with stamos.
gorges is a top 4 defender. now it would be real hard for the habs to give up but sometimes prices have to be payed. gorges would be at worst the 2nd defender behind hedmen. he is grate at defending.
krysto is a top prospect. he averages a point a game and is grate at skating. he is like a late 1st. the habs dont not need to give up much more as this is alot and this is good talent as lacavalier is an expensive guy with a high cap hit.
thats is just my two sense. |
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Re: HEADED FOR DIVORCE? (Score: 1)
by TheLeafNation91 on Tuesday, December 08
(User Info | Send a Message) | Gomez is terrible for what he is paid, if I was Tampa Bay I would not want that burden. I'm still trying to see why Gainey wanted it? Maybe he wanted to go out with a BANG!!! I have justified his other dealings though...Except Gill and Spacek who have been exposed as slow defenders!
Why didn't the Habs trade for Lecalvier in the first place??? Now (I doubt the Lightning want Gomez) they would be stupid to get him because they would be strapped on the salary cap...Not good to see 24 million dollars committed to Gomez, Lecalvier, Gionta, AND Lecalvier...
Hell, Phil Kessel has more points then Gomez who has played in 10 less games, and he's paired up with two weanies, AND is making less money.
Hell, Ponikarovsky, Stajan, Hagman, Grabovski and IAN WHITE??? All have more points then Gomez...And they all are getting paid alot less.
Gionta and Cammalleri have been great for the Habs, kinda figured that, but still and will never understand fully why the Habs went to go get Scott Gomez??? For that price they could of went for Joe Pavelski or someone really effective
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Re: HEADED FOR DIVORCE? (Score: 1)
by mon167 on Tuesday, December 08
(User Info | Send a Message) | | I know these rumors have been around for years...but I really think this one is different...I will be surprised if Lecavalier is still a Lightning by next season.
Having said that, I really think he will be a Hab, I just don't see Gainey not trying his best to get Lecavalier, I'm not saying I back his plan to get Lecavalier but I just think he's going to do it.
Now as much as i admit i don't like his contract id still do the trade, but for a reasonable price. If we can't get rid of Gomez...as much as I would like Lecavalier, we can't have two wasted 7 million dollar players...what if Lecavalier doesn't turn it around? its bad enough Gomez is a huuuuge disappointment. We can't afford two. Not to mention, you have to give these guys good players to play with and that will be very very hard if you have both those salaries on your cap.
Gomez HAS to be traded, I won't hide it, he's playing terrible, everyone who is comparing him to leafs players who are doing wayyy better are right. I like this guy, but wow perhaps one of the worst players for the money. And I said that from the day this trade happened. I would have been happier to get no one and wait until the right deal came along rather then get Gomez cuz he was the only guy available.
But, as crazy as some ppl may think it sounds...Gomez getting traded to the Lightning is possible! The lightning are not going to be able to just give away that monster contract of Lecavalier, I like him and still think its a terrible contract and am skeptical of even going for it. So they are going to have to take something rather bad back...no one will just take on a 10 million dollar contract. Gomez has 4 years left at a similar cap hit to Lecavalier, but when you look at actual salary Gomez will save the Lightning 14.5 million over those 4 years and then the contract is over. Lecavalier will have another 6 years!! As bad as Gomez's contract is, i think its still a good deal for the Lightning if they get rid of Lecavalier, replace him with a good player like Gomez (he is good, just not for the money) and get something else from montreal.
anyways we'll see! |
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Re: HEADED FOR DIVORCE? (Score: 1)
by 93killer93 on Tuesday, December 08
(User Info | Send a Message) | Didn't want to start a new article but Cody Hodgson is out of the WJ with a back injury. Canada is really missing alot of top guys this year.
Hall-Kadri-Eberle
Glennie-Schenn-Seguin
Kozun-Cormier-Kassian
Henrique-Leblanc-Nemisz
Eakin
Pietrangelo-Ellis
Cowen-Teubert
Lalonde-Gormley
De Haan
Allen
Hackett
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Re: HEADED FOR DIVORCE? (Score: 1)
by the_word on Tuesday, December 08
(User Info | Send a Message) | Luke Schenn who the Lighting brass adore for Vincenet Lecalvier.
Tampa sheds salary and takes little back, Leafs actually give up a bluechip young player while landing a franchise player.
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Re: HEADED FOR DIVORCE? (Score: 1)
by Kramer on Wednesday, December 09
(User Info | Send a Message) | I heard from unconfirmed sources that the Leafs wanna get Lecavalier and Burke wants to make a big trade sooner or later.
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Re: HEADED FOR DIVORCE? (Score: 1)
by wayne2 on Wednesday, December 09
(User Info | Send a Message) | IMO Lecavalier needs(and has needed for a while) a change of scenery.Here's a few thoughts:
To Ottawa:Lecavalier
To Tampa:Spezza,Lee + Zubov
To Toronto:Lecavalier
To Tampa:Schenn,Kadri + Stajan
To Colorado:Lecavalier
To Tampa:Stasny,Svatos + Liles
To Edmonton:Lecavalier
To Tampa:Horcoff,Cogliano + (1st rd 2009,sorry forgot his name)
To Atlanta:Lecavalier
To Tampa:Andropov,Armstrong + Bogosian
To Florida:Lecavalier
To Tampa:Frolik,Horton + Allen
I know I'll get blasted but hey everybody's got an opinion and i just believe the huge contract must be taken into consideration. |
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Re: HEADED FOR DIVORCE? (Score: 1)
by reinjosh on Wednesday, December 09
(User Info | Send a Message) | What do people think about Semin being traded to Atlanta?
doesnt matter if its the deadline or offseason, but it would make sense.
Washington needs the space to sign Backstrom and could benefit from the space to fill other needs. They could also get a nice young dman like Valabik or Salmela from them, and could get someone like Machacek to potentially replace Semin. Lehtonen and Atlanta's 1st would also be options. Plus any space they keep from not signing Semin could be used getting another top 4 dman.
Atlanta would be getting a potent offensive guy to add to an already potent offense. It would be viewed as a way to try to convince Kovy to stay. It would be expensive keeping the two (around 40 million for 12 players, about 15 or 16 million for Kovy and Semin) but it would be doable, they get to keep Kovy, and they get to be one of the most potent offensive teams in the league. They would still have around 17 million to sign 9 players (which is easily better than most teams cap sitautions). And if Kovy doesnt resign they have someone to replace him and keep Kubina and Afinogenov. They wouldnt be giving up all that much (their top 4 is already set and their offense wouldn't miss Machacek, plus they can afford to miss the first). To me it makes a whole lot of sense.
I know the Hockey News proposed this a couple days ago but I had though of this before they did and posed it about a month or two ago. What do people think? What would it take for Atlanta to get Semin? Keep in mind that Semin is likely going to be asking for 6 or 7 million and his agent doesnt believe in hometown discounts (explicitly stated this on multiply occasions and is the agent for other Russian players)
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Re: HEADED FOR DIVORCE? (Score: 1)
by KingCanada on Wednesday, December 09
(User Info | Send a Message) | I wonder if Vincent Lecavalier is just pulling a Wince Carter. Do you guys remember when Wince didnt want to play for the Raptors anymore so he decided he wouldnt dunk at all??? He played his way into a trade. I wonder if Lecavalier is doing the same.
Wince Lecavalier lol, just a thought.. |
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Re: HEADED FOR DIVORCE? (Score: 1)
by futurebruin (weeeeeeeeeeeeeee855@yahoo.com) on Friday, December 11
(User Info | Send a Message) | I'd like to see Chiarelli try to make a move for St.Louis. He'd look good in a Savard-Lucic-St.Louis or a Paille-Bergeron-St.Louis. I say:
Tampa Gets:
Vladmir Sobotka
Joe Colborne
Andrew Ference
Toronto 2010 2nd Round Pick
Boston Gets:
Martin St. Louis |
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Re: HEADED FOR DIVORCE? (Score: 1)
by number15 on Saturday, December 12
(User Info | Send a Message) | - Vincent Lacavalier
for
- Tomas kaberle
- Nikolas Hagman
- Ian White
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Re: HEADED FOR DIVORCE? (Score: 1)
by ThunderFan74 on Sunday, December 20
(User Info | Send a Message) | here are my trades i would like to see happen the habs are currently 3 million over the cap and something has to be done...
Forwards
Tomas Plekanec - Vincent lecavalier- Mike Cammalleri
Alex Tanguay - Scott Gomez - Brian Gionta
Benoit Pouliot - Maxim Lapierre - Max Pacioretty
Travis Moen - Glen Metropolit - Georges Laraque
Gregory Stewart
Matt D'Agostini
Defense
Andrei Markov - Jaroslav Spacek
Hal Gill - Josh Gorges
Paul Mara - Marc-Andre Bergeron
Ryan O'ByrneGoalies
Carey Price
Antero Nittymaki
Tampa Bay : cap space-4.585 million
Vincent Laecavalier-7.727 million
Montreal : cap space- -2.493 million
To MontrealVincent Lecavalier
Alex Tanguay
Antero Nittymaki
to tampa bay:Roman Hamrlik
Sergei Kostitsyn
Andrei Kostitsyn
Jaroslav Halak
1st round draft pick in 2010,2011
2nd round draft pick in 2010
3rd and 4th round draft pick in 2011 |
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