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Meszaros Wanted Too Much Money
by Paul on 08/30/08 at 08:15 AM ET
Comments (7)
from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun,
“It got to the point where the dollars were just too much for us,” Murray said in a conference call last night. “We thought it was at a point where we weren’t going to be able to do it. I wasn’t able to make the adjustment with my salary structure.
“The last two years, (Meszaros’ play) has left a lot to be desired. I know Filip Kuba well and he’s really going to help us. I know he’s excited about this change. As for Picard, he’s local guy with a lot of potential. We feel good and the first-round pick is also going to help us.”
Murray said Kuba, Chris Phillips, Anton Volchenkov and Jason Smith will be club’s top four blueliners this season.
added 2:25pm, from the Tampa Bay Lightning,
The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenseman Andrej Meszaros to a six-year contract today, executive vice president of hockey operations Brian Lawton announced. Meszaros was acquired from the Ottawa Senators yesterday in exchange for defensmen Filip Kuba and Alexandre Picard as well as a first-round draft pick in 2009 (previously acquired).
“The acquisition and signing of Andrej is a strong statement to our players and our fans that the Lightning ownership group is committed to putting the best product on the ice now and for years to come,” Lawton said.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Andrej+Meszaros,
Comments
...said Lightning director of hockey operations Brian Lawton. “Andrej is a perfect fit within our plan to rebuild the Lightning into a contender. He has a strong all-around game, he competes, he moves the puck and he can handle big, strong forwards defensively.”
Lawton mispoke. What he meant to say was: “He has a strong all-around game, he competes, he moves the puck and we feel he can be a big, strong forward someday.” 
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 08/30/08 at 10:25 AM ET
Forget about the price, the Sens absolutely robbed the Lightning.
Don’t tell the Tampa fans. They think they got a young stud defenseman with unbelievable skill at a price that will look like a bargain in a year or so, and all it cost them was a washed-up guy who should be in the minors, a youngster who won’t amount to anything, and a first-round pick who wouldn’t help them immediately anyway. All the team needs to do is get a veteran number-two defenseman by trading some of their excess forwards, and playoffs here they come!
Yummy. Lightning-flavored Kool-aid. 
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 08/30/08 at 12:17 PM ET
Heh, yup, just keep drinking the kool-aid.
Posted by Kevin from Pittsburgh on 08/30/08 at 06:12 PM ET
Funny how Mezsaros “sucks” and was a “cancer” as soon as he leaves the Sens organization and Kuba & Picard (who will be a good player, no doubt) will lead the Sens to the promised land.
Who is drinking the kool-aid, exactly? 
Posted by Corrina from Florida on 09/01/08 at 11:11 AM ET
I, for one, think it’s a wash.
Salary-wise, no one saved anything - the two combined are about that same as Meszaros wound up getting.
Tampa lost two defensemen and gained one, from what was by far the weakest part of their team. Ottawa didn’t lose a “cancer” - they lost a decent player who was coming off a couple of iffy years and gained an okay veteran, a prospect who might in a couple years be an adequate replacement for the player they lost, and a pick that might be something, or might be nothing. For a team that needed solid veteran experience on defense, the Lightning got even younger.
They might be better in a couple years down the road for it - but history gives ample evidence that going with a young defense is a great way to pile up the losses, and maybe ruin some of the confidence of the players long term.
And no matter how many excess forwards they dangle in front of other teams, solid veteran defensemen are extremely valuable commodities and aren’t available for garbage. Any team willing to trade one probably won’t be able to take much salary back, either.
In Tampa’s favor, the entire division is slop, so they have that going for them.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 09/01/08 at 11:41 AM ET
The reason i say that Ottawa got a steal, is because they got a couple good players and a first round pick for a player that didn’t want to resign for a reasonable amount of money.
Posted by Kevin from Pittsburgh on 09/01/08 at 01:26 PM ET
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Forget about the price, the Sens absolutely robbed the Lightning.
Posted by Kevin from Pittsburgh on 08/30/08 at 09:41 AM ET