Just prior to July 1, the opening day of free agency, Lightning General Manager Steve Yzerman stated that the Lightning weren’t likely to make a “big splash”. He said the team wasn’t in a position to add a player who would command a long-term, hefty contract. But Yzerman also indicated that the Lightning wouldn’t necessarily stand pat – that if there were a deal to be done that made sense for the organization, he wouldn’t hesitate to make it.
Not even a month later, the Lightning have retooled their roster with Pavel Kubina, Brett Clark, Dan Ellis, Simon Gagne, Niklas Persson, Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Chris Durno. (In arguably their most significant move, they also inked Marty St. Louis to a four-year contract extension).
There is no question that Yzerman has improved the team with these deals. Kubina and Clark have combined to play 1,339 regular season NHL games – their experience will be a huge asset to the Lightning blue line. Gagne has played 664 NHL games and is a two-time 40-goal scorer. Ellis has never played an NHL season in which he posted a save percentage under .900. Persson has amassed over 500 games of experience playing in Swedish Elite League and the KHL. (Persson, Pouliot and Durno signed two-way contracts, so it’s possible they might spend time in Norfolk. Either way, all three provide the organization with valuable depth).
But based on the moves he has made, we know that Yzerman had not one, but two goals in mind. First, as detailed in the last paragraph, add players that will help the club immediately. Second, provide the team with flexibility by replacing some long-term contracts with shorter ones. The Lightning know they need to re-sign Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman after their entry level contracts expire in 2011 and 2012, respectively. In trading Andrei Meszaros, Yzerman removed the remaining four years on the defenseman’s contract from the Lightning’s books. Similarly, the Lightning are no longer responsible for the last three years of Matt Walker’s contract. Of the added players, no one is signed beyond 2012 – they all have one or two-year contracts.
This nifty juggling has given the Lightning much-needed cap flexibility, maneuverability that seemed unlikely a month ago. (As a bonus, Yzerman nabbed a 2012 second-round pick in the Meszaros trade). Today’s GMs must not only be astute in determining which players they want for their team, they also must be well-versed in strategic planning so as not to get boxed in by a multitude of lengthy, expensive contracts. In the past several weeks, Yzerman has shown that he has the ability to navigate through those tricky waters.
As always, please email me your questions at mishkinsblog@tampabaylightning.com
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