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The link isn't working for whatever reason, so I'll repost here:
November 3rd, 2008
The Lightning...what have you done!?
At the deadline last year I remember hearing rumours that Brad Richards might be moved. The first thing I thought of was - how can you possibly move that salary. Even with the market changing and players receiving more and more money on the open market, Brad Richards is still overpaid at 7.8 million dollars - not to mention that he has two more years after this one. So I was thinking that the Lightning and the Hawks might be good partners. Brad Richards and his 7.8 million for Nikolai Khabibulin and his 6.75 million dollar contract. Tampa would receive a goaltender that they're already comfortable with, a guy that had already lead them to the glories of the Stanley Cup, because let's face it, the Lightning's problem wasn't scoring goals, it was keeping the pucks out of their own net.
Then it became know that the Dallas Stars were interested in Richards. Then came the news that Richards, no trade and all, had been moved to the Stars along with Johan Holmqvist for Mike Smith, Jeff Halpern, Jussi Jokinen and a 4th round pick.
So let me get this straight: the Lightning felt that Richards and his almost 8 million dollar albatross was going to be moved - and they managed to get three NHL hockey players back? Not to mention Halpern's intangibles. This is a guy who could be an assistant captain on most teams, he brings leadership, excellent 2-way play, kills penalties and is a two time 20-goal man. Not to shabby. Add in Jussi Jokinen and all of a sudden Tampa has one of the best shootout guys in the league and a guy that flirts with 50 points every year.
However, make no mistake as to what the centerpiece of this trade was. Mike Smith had a wonderful rookie year for the Stars, appearing in 23 games, posting a 0.912 save % and a 2.22 GAA. The year he was traded he had a .906 save % and a 2.45 GAA. His puck handling skills have usurpted even the great Marty Turco - and he needed a place where he could be the number one guy.
Because I think the management of the Lightning are a little slow when it comes to trades of consequence, I would rather chalk this trade up to Brett Hull and Les Jackson wanting to make a splash in the West that no team could match - and getting over-anxious in the process, but the reality is: this was the first of a few beautiful moves by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
So the Lightning go into the summer without Brad Richards, but with Smith, Jokinen and Jeff Halpern, who is due to come off injury reserve in January. Very nice.
They weren't done as we all know.
On July 1st they acquired the rights to Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts for a conditional draft pick from the Penguins. Malone was then signed to a 7 year package that averaged 4.5 million per year. A little long in the term department, but Malone would be a winger on line two or even flanking Vinny and St.Louis.
Gary Roberts was signed to a one year 2.4 million dollar contract. Not needed in the least. Over-zealous? But it's not the end of the world. All of a sudden, the Lightning look pretty good. Sure they overpaid a veteran forward, but hey, if he can help with his leadership etc., then who's to question?
They added Mark Recchi for 1.5 million and Olaf Kolzig for under a million as insurance. I think both of these were top notch signings.
Then something happened. I don't know what exactly, but I can tell you, it's tarnished the Lightning as a franchise and put them back at least a year, probably more like 2 or 3 years. Don't even look at the fact that the Lightning spend 3 and 3.5 on Prospal and Vrbata, just look to this transaction:
July 4th, 2008:
Breaking News:
The Tampa Bay Lightning have traded Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich to the San Jose Sharks for Matt Carle, Ty Wishart, a 1st round selection in 2009 and a 4th round selection in 2010.
What!? Are you guys out of your mind? You had one of the premiere power-play quarterbacks in the entire NHL, not to mention someone you had just signed to a 7 yar contract extension at 6.7 million per year. His leadership, his Cup experience and most importantly, his points are gone. Lukowich is a lesser blow, but a blow nonetheless - but Boyle....Boyle is crippling. Why? Because they got back Matt Carle, a guy so lowly regarded in the Sharks' organization that he was a regular healthy scratch. A guy that had been offered to the Ottawa Senators, along with a 1st round pick, for Wade Redden. All of a sudden, the Sharks saw a chance to move him and upgrade their puck moving D by about...I don't know...100 to 1. And they took it. They send a young prospect Ty Wishart and a 1st rounder to Tampa as well, but I guarantee they didn't mind in the least.
I'm gonna go ahead and call this a franchise dehabilitating trade. Why? Because on August 29th, came this:
Breaking News:
Ottawa Senators traded Andrej Meszaros to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Filip Kuba, Alexander Picards and a 1st round selection in 2009.
What a great trade for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Meszaros is a young buck coming up through the NHL, who had hit a couple of snags along the way, but was probably about ready to break out. The problem for Tampa here is: what the heck do we do with Meszaros now that we've acquired him?
Meszaros could have learned so much from Danny Boyle, but...they had just traded him for a lost young man who was in desperate need of direction - much like Meszaros, but really, nowhere near as good. So, for the entire pre-season Meszaros and Carle made an amusing duo while Paul Ranger was out. Neither knew exactly what to do with themselves. 'Mez' would log massive minutes, but strangely the points weren't coming. Carle would log big minutes, but oddly, the points were coming for him either.
No kidding you idiots! You traded the wrong guy! What you should have done, is trade Kuba, Picard and a 1st for Meszaros and bloody kept Danny Boyle! But no, couldn't leave well enough alone. Especially when Boyle has come to you and re-affirmed that he didn't want to leave. Imagine how lethal the Lightning would be with Boyle and Meszaros on the blueline, running the power-play for years to come. 6 years actually, for both, coincidence? Not if I was in charge. Maybe what the Lightning should've done is save some of their money that they threw at the Vrbatas, Roberts, Prospals, etc. etc. etc. and kept Danny Boyle in the mix. Lecavalier and St.Louis would have thanked you because the outlet passes that make a team run would be snapping up the ice. Instead, the Lightning will not be feared for a while. Not with their number one and two D-men being young men who haven't 'got it' yet.
I said it at the time and I'll say it again. Tampa Bay owners and management are idiots. You needed to leave well enough alone and make smart, franchise forwarding transactions, not alienate one of the premiere D-men in the league and force him to accept a trade - a trade that you flat out lost.
Which brings us full circle to the Brad Richards trade. Did the Lightning aggresively pursue Mike Smith, Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern, or did the blind squirrel find the nut?
November 3rd, 2008
The Lightning...what have you done!?
At the deadline last year I remember hearing rumours that Brad Richards might be moved. The first thing I thought of was - how can you possibly move that salary. Even with the market changing and players receiving more and more money on the open market, Brad Richards is still overpaid at 7.8 million dollars - not to mention that he has two more years after this one. So I was thinking that the Lightning and the Hawks might be good partners. Brad Richards and his 7.8 million for Nikolai Khabibulin and his 6.75 million dollar contract. Tampa would receive a goaltender that they're already comfortable with, a guy that had already lead them to the glories of the Stanley Cup, because let's face it, the Lightning's problem wasn't scoring goals, it was keeping the pucks out of their own net.
Then it became know that the Dallas Stars were interested in Richards. Then came the news that Richards, no trade and all, had been moved to the Stars along with Johan Holmqvist for Mike Smith, Jeff Halpern, Jussi Jokinen and a 4th round pick.
So let me get this straight: the Lightning felt that Richards and his almost 8 million dollar albatross was going to be moved - and they managed to get three NHL hockey players back? Not to mention Halpern's intangibles. This is a guy who could be an assistant captain on most teams, he brings leadership, excellent 2-way play, kills penalties and is a two time 20-goal man. Not to shabby. Add in Jussi Jokinen and all of a sudden Tampa has one of the best shootout guys in the league and a guy that flirts with 50 points every year.
However, make no mistake as to what the centerpiece of this trade was. Mike Smith had a wonderful rookie year for the Stars, appearing in 23 games, posting a 0.912 save % and a 2.22 GAA. The year he was traded he had a .906 save % and a 2.45 GAA. His puck handling skills have usurpted even the great Marty Turco - and he needed a place where he could be the number one guy.
Because I think the management of the Lightning are a little slow when it comes to trades of consequence, I would rather chalk this trade up to Brett Hull and Les Jackson wanting to make a splash in the West that no team could match - and getting over-anxious in the process, but the reality is: this was the first of a few beautiful moves by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
So the Lightning go into the summer without Brad Richards, but with Smith, Jokinen and Jeff Halpern, who is due to come off injury reserve in January. Very nice.
They weren't done as we all know.
On July 1st they acquired the rights to Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts for a conditional draft pick from the Penguins. Malone was then signed to a 7 year package that averaged 4.5 million per year. A little long in the term department, but Malone would be a winger on line two or even flanking Vinny and St.Louis.
Gary Roberts was signed to a one year 2.4 million dollar contract. Not needed in the least. Over-zealous? But it's not the end of the world. All of a sudden, the Lightning look pretty good. Sure they overpaid a veteran forward, but hey, if he can help with his leadership etc., then who's to question?
They added Mark Recchi for 1.5 million and Olaf Kolzig for under a million as insurance. I think both of these were top notch signings.
Then something happened. I don't know what exactly, but I can tell you, it's tarnished the Lightning as a franchise and put them back at least a year, probably more like 2 or 3 years. Don't even look at the fact that the Lightning spend 3 and 3.5 on Prospal and Vrbata, just look to this transaction:
July 4th, 2008:
Breaking News:
The Tampa Bay Lightning have traded Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich to the San Jose Sharks for Matt Carle, Ty Wishart, a 1st round selection in 2009 and a 4th round selection in 2010.
What!? Are you guys out of your mind? You had one of the premiere power-play quarterbacks in the entire NHL, not to mention someone you had just signed to a 7 yar contract extension at 6.7 million per year. His leadership, his Cup experience and most importantly, his points are gone. Lukowich is a lesser blow, but a blow nonetheless - but Boyle....Boyle is crippling. Why? Because they got back Matt Carle, a guy so lowly regarded in the Sharks' organization that he was a regular healthy scratch. A guy that had been offered to the Ottawa Senators, along with a 1st round pick, for Wade Redden. All of a sudden, the Sharks saw a chance to move him and upgrade their puck moving D by about...I don't know...100 to 1. And they took it. They send a young prospect Ty Wishart and a 1st rounder to Tampa as well, but I guarantee they didn't mind in the least.
I'm gonna go ahead and call this a franchise dehabilitating trade. Why? Because on August 29th, came this:
Breaking News:
Ottawa Senators traded Andrej Meszaros to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Filip Kuba, Alexander Picards and a 1st round selection in 2009.
What a great trade for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Meszaros is a young buck coming up through the NHL, who had hit a couple of snags along the way, but was probably about ready to break out. The problem for Tampa here is: what the heck do we do with Meszaros now that we've acquired him?
Meszaros could have learned so much from Danny Boyle, but...they had just traded him for a lost young man who was in desperate need of direction - much like Meszaros, but really, nowhere near as good. So, for the entire pre-season Meszaros and Carle made an amusing duo while Paul Ranger was out. Neither knew exactly what to do with themselves. 'Mez' would log massive minutes, but strangely the points weren't coming. Carle would log big minutes, but oddly, the points were coming for him either.
No kidding you idiots! You traded the wrong guy! What you should have done, is trade Kuba, Picard and a 1st for Meszaros and bloody kept Danny Boyle! But no, couldn't leave well enough alone. Especially when Boyle has come to you and re-affirmed that he didn't want to leave. Imagine how lethal the Lightning would be with Boyle and Meszaros on the blueline, running the power-play for years to come. 6 years actually, for both, coincidence? Not if I was in charge. Maybe what the Lightning should've done is save some of their money that they threw at the Vrbatas, Roberts, Prospals, etc. etc. etc. and kept Danny Boyle in the mix. Lecavalier and St.Louis would have thanked you because the outlet passes that make a team run would be snapping up the ice. Instead, the Lightning will not be feared for a while. Not with their number one and two D-men being young men who haven't 'got it' yet.
I said it at the time and I'll say it again. Tampa Bay owners and management are idiots. You needed to leave well enough alone and make smart, franchise forwarding transactions, not alienate one of the premiere D-men in the league and force him to accept a trade - a trade that you flat out lost.
Which brings us full circle to the Brad Richards trade. Did the Lightning aggresively pursue Mike Smith, Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern, or did the blind squirrel find the nut?
