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Entries with the tag: Vinny+Lecavalier
Get Ready, Here Comes The Lecavalier Trade Talk
by Paul on 11/04/09 at 04:16 PM ET
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from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,
Some people believe Lecavalier is untradeable because of the contract. I disagree. He remains one of the better centers in the world when he’s on his game and in the right environment.
Maybe we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves because perhaps none of this trade talk will ever come to pass. But if it does, it’s fun to wonder which teams will call, no? How about the Los Angeles Kings? I think GM Dean Lombardi has the green light to add a major piece this season. Anyone fancy a Lecavalier-Anze Kopitar 1-2 punch at center?
And what of the New York Rangers. Marian Gaborik is flying in the Big Apple. Imagine if he had a bona-fide No. 1 center? Imagine a reunion with coach John Tortorella?
more on Lecavalier…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
The Play Of Vinny Lecavalier
by Paul on 11/03/09 at 03:42 PM ET
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from Damian Cristodero of Lightning Strikes,
“Well, Vinny knows he’s struggling, and he’s got to get some passion in his game,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “He knows it. I talked to him about it. It’s not just scoring. He’s the captain of the hockey club, and it’s not just him. But he’s the main figure on our team. We’ve got to get him going. He has to show us that he’s ready to play. He knows it. There’s no better stage than tonight in Toronto. I’d be very surprised if he didn’t sow any passion tonight.”
But Lecavalier wasn’t sure “passion” was the right way to describe what his game has been lacking.
“I think I’m working very hard,” he said. “I just think things aren’t working out. I think everybody is working hard but sometimes you’ve got to work smarter than harder. You’ve got to work hard but you’ve got to works smart, too. I just seem to be thinking too much. Maybe start playing with more instincts.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Leading The Way
by Paul on 09/30/09 at 11:12 PM ET
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from Damian Cristodero of the St. Petersburg Times,
Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said he likes what he sees from captain Vinny Lecavalier. So much so, he said he sees “a different Vinny.”
“It’s his attention to detail, the way he’s running the team, the room,” Tocchet said Wednesday at the St. Pete Times Forum. “When we have off-ice workouts, he makes sure everybody’s in there.”
Lecavalier also has accepted a strategy of coming back into the defensive zone for the puck to ignite breakouts instead of waiting for the puck to come to him.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Grew Up Playing For The Notre Dame Hounds
by Paul on 09/22/09 at 10:17 AM ET
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from Greg Harder of the Leader-Post,
The 29-year-old felt a little like he was stepping into the past on Monday when he arrived in Regina for Tampa’s pre-season tilt with the Ottawa Senators. It was his first trip to Saskatchewan since age 15 and the first time he had visited the Brandt Centre since attending a Regina Pats game about 14 years ago.
“It goes back a long time but it just seems like it was yesterday,” Lecavalier said following his team’s afternoon skate. “I’ve had some great memories here, memories I remember for the rest of my life. It was only two years, but very unique. I recommend all the kids go there. It was a great experience.”
Lecavalier knew by age nine that he was headed to Notre Dame, where his older brother Phil spent four years. Their parents felt it would benefit the boys to leave the nest at a young age and become independent.
“They just thought it would be a place we could grow up,” said the native of Ile Bizard, Que. “You leave home, you’re 14 years old, you’re gonna miss your parents. It’s tough, but you suck it up. You realize you have to handle your own things and your mommy and daddy aren’t right there beside you. You learn quickly.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
All Vinny Lecavalier
by Paul on 09/03/09 at 02:28 PM ET
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from Damian Cristodero of Lightning Strikes,
Q: Are you surprised you’re still here?
A: Not really, no. It got intense, but to tell you the truth, I didn’t really know. They were just rumors to me.
Q: Is life without trade rumors a relief?
A: I was just tired of talking about it; people coming up to me. I left for a few weeks and it felt good after the season. I didn’t want to hear anything about anything. I wanted to have a little break. Obviously, when I went back to Montreal (before the draft), that started again. But since July 1, it’s been pretty low key. It’s very nice.
Q: How do you feel about the team going into camp?
A: I’m feeling very good. You look at the defensemen we have. By getting these veteran guys who have a lot of experience, it all starts there. They have more experience in the zone and playing defensively. They can get the puck out, which will help us offensively. To get those big defensive guys, it’s going to change the look of the team, definitely.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Excited Tanguay Joining Bolts
by Paul on 08/29/09 at 04:15 PM ET
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from Damian Cristodero of Lightning Strikes at the St. Petersburg Times,
The agent for free-agent wing Alex Tanguay said his client will sign a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning after he passes a physical that will occur in Tampa on Monday or Tuesday....
Lecavalier, who played with Tanguay for Canada at the 1998 world junior championship, said he spoke to Tanguay twice, including Friday night.
“He asked me about Tampa and I told him about coming to the tam and the direction it is going,” Lecavalier said, and added, “Anybody that plays with a guy like Tanguay, he’s such a great passer and can score. He brings a lot to the team, so I’m excited.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, St. Louis Blues | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Tanguay, Vinny+Lecavalier,
One Of These Two May Not Be On Team Canada
by Paul on 08/26/09 at 09:49 AM ET
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from Michael Farber of Sports Illustrated,
The last time Vinny Lecavalier actually had to make a team was ... well, never.
And the last time Joe Thornton had to make a team ... was, well, almost never.
Making teams are for other guys, not the gifted and precocious and iconic. But as Canada Red and Canada White departed the Pengrowth Saddledome after Day 2 of the Most Serious Olympic Hockey Orientation Camp in the world, it seemed apparent that there would not be room for the both of them next February.
Filed in: Non-NHL Hockey, International Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Joe+Thornton, Team+Canada, Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier On Prospal
by Paul on 07/29/09 at 12:50 PM ET
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from Damian Cristodero of Lightning Strikes,
Over the years, Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier and linemate Vinny Prospal have become great friends. So it was not unexpected that Lecavalier would react strongly to the news Prospal will be bought out of the last three seasons of his four-year deal.
“Obviously, I’m very disappointed,” Lecavalier said from his Montreal home. “I feel for him. I know he really loves Tampa, so I was disappointed. I always said I like to play with Vinny Prospal, and every time he had a bad year, he came back and had a great one.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier, Vinny+Prospal,
Lawton Done Commenting On Lecavalier
by Paul on 06/27/09 at 08:45 PM ET
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from Damian Cristodero of Lightning Strikes at the St. Petersburg Times,
Lawton, who has been consistent saying he has never shopped the four-time all-star center, said he did not field any calls about Lecavalier all weekend, and he ended the brief conversation with, “You know what? No more comments from me about Vinny. I’m leaving it alone.”
Though Lecavalier’s agent Kent Hughes said Saturday he had not spoken to Lawton, he welcomed the sentiment he has been trying to get out of Tampa Bay for a while.
“It takes a lot of pressure off in terms of the cloud of uncertainty that has been around Vinny,” Hughes said. “Now he can focus on the Tampa Bay Lightning, and restoring them to the quality team they should be in the league.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Doubtful Lecavalier Gets Moved At The Draft
by Paul on 06/24/09 at 11:13 AM ET
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via Kevin Allen’s Twitter,
Told today that it is unlikely that Vinny Lecavalier will be traded at the NHL draft. We can’t completely rule it out, but it’s not likely
added 1:57pm, Kevin has more on this at his Mucking and Grinding blog,
The natural conclusion is that it will be challenging to achieve a Lecavalier deal that both BArrie and Koules could sign off on.
The other issue, which is even more important, is that the Lightning haven’t been impressed by any offers they have received for Lecavalier.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Demers On Trading Lecavalier
by Paul on 06/10/09 at 03:58 PM ET
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from Damian Cristodero of Lightning Strikes,
Had a long talk the other day with former Lightning coach Jacques Demers, who is now a television analyst for Canada’s RDS network. Not surprising the discussion turned to Vinny Lecavalier and the rumors that we will hear perhaps all summer that he could be traded....
“If he trades Vinny, he can’t make a mistake,” Demers said of Lawton. “If he trades Vinny and gets quality players in return, he can turn this whole franchise around. That’s what he’s probably mulling every day when he gets up until when he goes to bed. He’s in a position right now where he could turn the franchise around.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jacques+Demers, Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Plans To Be In The Best Shape Of His Career
by Paul on 05/28/09 at 06:27 PM ET
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from Damian Cristodero of the St. Peterburg Times,
Vinny Lecavalier hit a few golf balls last week; nothing taxing, just some chips, but a good sign his right wrist is healing from April’s season-ending surgery.
The real work, though, begins the third week of July, when the Lightning captain said he expects to start training for the new season, two weeks earlier than usual.
“I hope it’s going to be the best summer of my career,” he said. “I’m determined to be in the best shape of my life.”
And after that? “I plan on having a great season.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier & Jack Johnson Talk
by Paul on 05/18/09 at 10:12 PM ET
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from Darren Dreger of TSN,
The conversations surrounding Tampa Bay Lightning forward Vincent Lecavalier are likely to heat up as we get closer to July 1, when the no-trade clause on his contract kicks in.
The two teams mentioned most when Lecavalier’s name comes up seem to be the Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings. With regards to the Kings, defenceman Jack Johnson is one of the players mentioned as possibly being involved in any deal with Tampa.
I had an interesting chat with Barry Smith, who is the head coach of SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL - and he said Johnson’s father, Jack Johnson Sr., contacted St. Petersburg prior to the World Hockey Championship to see if the team would have interest in signing his son to a one-year contract.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Los Angeles Kings, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: jack+johnson, Vinny+Lecavalier,
Evening Line
by Paul on 04/14/09 at 09:16 PM ET
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“Just a frustrating year. It was tough on everybody, coaching staff, players and management. ... Overall, it was the worst year in probably along time. We just couldn’t seem to win that six or eight games out of 10, or 15 out of 20, to get back in the race. We weren’t really there. Sometimes when you get a little taste of being close to being in the playoffs, you get that extra motivation and you can win 10 in a row or eight and get into the playoffs. It just seems like we weren’t there ever. That’s what made it really tough.”
-Vinny Lecavallier. More from Vinny from Damian Cristodero of the St. Petersburg Times.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Keep Or Trade Lecavalier
by Paul on 04/14/09 at 08:17 AM ET
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from Damian Cristordero of the St. Petersburg Times,
The Lightning brass over the next several months will crunch the numbers, both financial and statistical, evaluate whatever offers that might develop and gauge the pulse of the community.
Most of all, though, it will take its time. As former Tampa Bay coach Jacques Demers said of deciding whether to retain captain Vinny Lecavalier or trade him: “It’s probably the biggest decision in franchise history.”
The question is on the table, and, basically, it comes down to money. Lecavalier’s 11-year, $85 million deal raises his salary to $10 million next season from $7.167 million. If, as expected, the Lightning carries a payroll of $43 million to $45 million, Lecavalier’s contract will eat up almost a quarter.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Surgery For Lecavalier
by Paul on 04/02/09 at 01:06 PM ET
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from Bolts Report,
Center Vinny Lecavalier is out for the year after the team announced Thursday that the four-time All-Star will undergo surgery on his right wrist. It’s the same procedure Lecavalier was scheduled to undergo last season before he injured his shoulder.
Here is the information from the team:
Tampa Bay Lightning Captain Vincent Lecavalier will undergo surgery to repair damage to his right wrist on Friday, April 3, Executive Vice President and General Manager Brian Lawton announced.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Hopes To Find His Game In Montreal
by Paul on 03/25/09 at 11:12 PM ET
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from Damian Cristodero of the St. Petersburg Times (Thursday edition),
Vinny Lecavalier needs a jolt, a kick in the pants, something to shake up his game.
It sure has gone stale for the Lightning captain, who leads the team with 29 goals but has just four in his past 18 games, in which he’s minus-9, and two in his past eight, in which he’s minus-8.
That is why Lecavalier agreed tonight’s game with the Canadiens at the Bell Centre couldn’t come at a better time.
“I love to play there,” the Montreal native said. “Sometimes you need one game to get you back. Maybe going into a building where I love to play will help.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Stop The Vinny Talk
by Paul on 02/25/09 at 12:10 PM ET
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from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,
Vinny isn’t available and anyone who suggests he might have been available earlier in the year– and the suggestees included Montreal Canadiens GM Bob Gainey – had better check their sources.
It doesn’t mean Lawton won’t try to be active in shedding payroll. It just means the Lecavalier trial balloon they floated just before the All-Star break was so badly received the Lightning figured it out in a hurry – it was a road they couldn’t go down and retain any credibility in their market. It’s one thing to show Brad Richards and Dan Boyle the door; it’s quite another to ditch the face of the franchise, even if the face of the franchise is set to earn $85-million over the next 11 years on a heavily front-loaded contract – the first four years are all worth $10-million in cold hard disposable cash in Lecavalier’s pocket,a tidy sum considering how iffy the team’s financial picture is at the moment.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Who Knew- Comaring Lecavalier & Stamkos Rookie Seasons
by Paul on 02/24/09 at 05:26 PM ET
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from Damian Cristodero of Lightning Strikes,
Under Tocchet, the Lightning worked with Stamkos, put him on a weight program, put him in a classroom video situation with assistant Wes Walz. It has helped big-time as Stamkos is playing his best hockey of the season. The there is this: Stamkos, with 10 goals, needs three to tie Vinny Lecavalier’s rookie output in 1998-99, and with 25 points, needs three to tie Lecavalier as well.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Steven+Stamkos, Vinny+Lecavalier,
Put The Lecavalier Rumors To Rest
by Paul on 02/24/09 at 06:09 AM ET
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from Erik Erlendsson and Martin Fennelly of the Tampa Tribune,
With Tampa Bay spending the next week in Canada, trade rumors are sure to run rampant as the March 4 trade deadline approaches.
But Vinny Lecavalier’s name won’t be at the forefront.
In his boldest statement in his short tenure as Lightning general manager, Brian Lawton may very well have put an end to any lingering rumors surrounding Lecavalier by stating the Tampa Bay captain won’t be going anywhere, as far as he’s concerned.
“We’re not going to trade Vinny Lecavalier,’’ Lawton said Monday. “I’m going to say, ‘never,’ so I don’t have to deal with it.’’
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Vinny Talks Montreal
by Paul on 01/24/09 at 06:48 PM ET
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from Damien Cristodero of the St. Petersburg Times,
The Lightning captain, 28, returned home this weekend to play in the 57th All-Star Game commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Canadiens franchise. What’s it like for Lecavalier in a city that craves a French-Canadian superstar for whom to cheer and is buzzing with speculation the Canadiens could try to trade for him? Lecavalier tells us.
Do you understand the fascination among fans and media about having a French-Canadian centerpiece on the Canadiens?
The people, they want a French-Canadian, there’s no doubt about it. They talk about it every summer when free agency comes. Some people say there’s not enough on the team, and they try to get more. It’s part of the tradition. People are fascinated by it. They want a French-Canadian who can play there.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier From The ASG
by Paul on 01/23/09 at 05:25 PM ET
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Transcript courtesy of the NHL
Q. Can you describe exactly how the discussions about a possible trade, whether to Montreal or anywhere else, have unfolded for you? Who told you, how those conversations have gone, and what your thoughts are about that?
VINCENT LECAVALIER: I can’t remember those three, four days. I remember we were in California. It was a pretty hectic couple of days. Usually there’s rumors, but this one seemed that it had a lot of legs on that one.
So, no, I was just getting a lot of calls from parents, from family and friends. But it was just all rumors until obviously talking a little bit about it with the team and everybody knows here. And what the League came up with was obviously that if something was to happen, they would come to me and ask me or come up with a list or something like that.
It’s basically what you guys know.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Brian Lawton On Vinny Lecavalier
by Paul on 01/15/09 at 03:35 PM ET
Comments (2)
OK, time to move on…
added 4:39pm, from Lightning Strikes,
As for Lecavalier, the calm and cool one showed a few cracks.
“I signed with Tampa for 11 years thinking I’d be here,” he said. “Obviously, it was a big decision for me this summer. The people in Tampa have been great to me, the team, we won a Stanley Cup here. It’s definitely been a stressful few days. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t. But right now, it’s just rumors. That’s all it is.”
added 5:18pm, from Bolts Report,
And until either Vinny comes out and say he has no desire to leave the franchise or Lawton says emphatically that Vinny won’t be traded, none of this is going to go away. And just think of the zoo that will await Lecavalier when he heads to Montreal next weekend for the All-Star game.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Brian+Lawton, Vinny+Lecavalier,
Teams Really Interested In Vinny
by Paul on 01/15/09 at 10:45 AM ET
Comments (1)
from Elliotte Friedman of Blogs and Colums at CBC,
Ask yourself the following questions:
1) How many teams in the NHL can actually afford Lecavalier’s 11-year, $85 million contract?
2) How many of those teams historically would be willing to have anyone on their roster making anywhere near that kind of cash?
3) How many of those teams have the kind of cap flexibility to add him?The last question is crucial, because this is not a situation where the Lightning want to take another team’s big contract in return. So, if, for argument’s sake, the Flyers were interested, it’s impossible to believe that Tampa would take Daniel Briere in exchange, because both deals are similarly front-loaded. (Please understand: I have no reason to believe this has been discussed. It’s just an example.)
So, how many teams are really in this race?
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Bolts Should Be Thinking About Their Credibility
by Paul on 01/13/09 at 07:18 PM ET
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from Gary Shelton of the St. Petersburg Times,
How much for Vinny?
And come to think of it, how much for a franchise’s credibility?
This is what the front office cowboys of the Lightning need to realize: It is impossible to lose one without sacrificing the other. Think of it as a two-for-one deal. If the team trades away Vinny Lecavalier, it is also trading away one of the last reasons to believe in it.
It is as simple as this. Fans trust Vinny Lecavalier a great deal, and they don’t trust the new ownership at all.
Around here, Lecavalier is not only the face of a franchise, he is the faith. In the chaos of a season, he is the reason to keep watching. He is the reason to think things might eventually get good again.
I will be passing on the future Vinny stories that are sure to come, but will keep KK readers informed if any news actually comes out of all this talk.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Tampa Has Had No Conversation With Montreal
by Paul on 01/13/09 at 04:16 PM ET
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from Joe Henderson of the Tampa Tribune,
Montreal reporters have started following the Lightning closely because Lecavalier is akin to a hockey god there.
Funny thing about that, though.
“Zero people have called me from Montreal to ask about this,” Lawton said from the West Coast, where the Lightning are on a road trip. “I don’t mean one; I mean zero.”
Still, Lawton was quoted in another local media outlet Tuesday that no player is untouchable – including, presumably, Vinny. Lawton says that was taken out of context, so I asked him directly: In his opinion, will Vinny Lecavalier be a member of the Lightning at the end of this season?
“In my opinion, yes,” he said. “I don’t want to be coy and play games here, so I’ll just say yes.”
added 7:08pm, from Elliotte Friedman of CBC,
The Lightning are backtracking now, saying that if Lecavalier leaves, it will be his call. But agents don’t make special trips across the country because they want to see Tampa play the Kings. Clearly, Kent Hughes, who represents the captain, felt an immediate need for a face-to-face meeting. The Koules/Barrie era is one of almost total mismanagement, and alienating your franchise player isn’t exactly a great idea. Wherever this goes from here, a level of trust is gone.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Just Say No Vinny
by Paul on 01/13/09 at 12:22 PM ET
Comments (2)
from Michael Farber of Sports Illustrated,
A memo to Vincent Lecavalier: Say no.
When Tampa Bay Lightning owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie or general manager Brian Lawton formally approach you about a trade to the Montreal Canadiens, tell them sorry, but forget about it.
If you want to go “home”—and really, you haven’t lived in Montreal since you left to play hockey in Saskatchewan as a teenager—you can drop by for a few weeks in the summer. Try the smoked meat and bagels.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Big Price Tag On Vinny
by Paul on 01/13/09 at 06:48 AM ET
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from The Good, The Bad And The Duthie,
Tampa wants the world in return for Lecavalier, of that there is little doubt. No one is completely sure of the package begin demanded, though you’ve probably heard the names being tossed around: Higgins, Plekanec, Komaserik, a top-flight prospect (P.K. Subban?), draft picks. Perhaps they’re not asking for all of them. Perhaps they are. Heck, perhaps they’re asking for more.
If it’s either one of the last two, it sounds like too much.
Lecavalier is a wonderful player, certainly among the top handful in the world. But in an age when depth in everything, giving up four (five? Six?) quality assets for one superstar is a massive risk. Especially when that superstar has a new contract that will pay him 85 million dollars over the next decade (the 11-year deal kicks in after next season, and will pay Lecavalier huge dollars until he is 41 years old). In Capland, the country the NHL now resides in, that kind of contract could handicap you for the next decade.
from Lightning Strikes,
In the meantime, the rumor mill will churn. Canada’s TSN already has a trade mapped out having to do with the Canadiens, though it does not include shut-down defenseman Mike Komisarek, who, logic says, would have to be included in any deal of this magnitude.
If Lecavalier thinks the rumors and speculation are bad now, wait till the Montreal native goes home for the Jan. 25 All-Star Game. As he said Monday, “I’m just glad we’re in California and not Canada. I haven’t even looked at the Internet.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Afternoon Line
by Paul on 01/12/09 at 12:16 PM ET
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“I’ve been told by [Lightning GM] Brian Lawton that they are not actively shopping Vinny. They have received phone calls [from other teams] because people are hearing about the team maybe being in financial distress. But I was told they are not actively looking to move him.”
-Kent Hughes, player agent for Vincent Lecavalier. More on this topic from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.
added 4:54pm, from Bob McKenzie of TSN,
At some point, the folks in Tampa are going to have to get on the same page for a trade to occur, but that becomes a lot easier and much more manageable if the following happens: Vinny Lecavalier tells them he would just as soon move on.
Sources say that is precisely the type of soul searching that is going on now for the Lightning captain.
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
The Lecavalier Talk
by Paul on 01/12/09 at 10:45 AM ET
Comments (4)
from Darren Dreger of TSN,
The big talk around the NHL’s water cooler right now is trade speculation surrounding Vincent Lecavalier.
There is a tug of war going on in the Lightning’s front office - some want the club to trade him and some don’t want him to be traded.
So general manager Brian Lawton’s job right now is to go out and collect information - collect the type of value you would expect in return for Lecavalier. And the Lightning’s expectations are extraordinarily high.
This is a player with an $85 million contract extension, so what does the team expect in return?
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Stop Dreaming Of Vinny
by Paul on 01/09/09 at 09:40 PM ET
Comments (3)
from Bob McKenzie of TSN,
Amid growing speculation throughout the NHL community that the Tampa Bay Lightning may be preparing to trade captain Vinny Lecavalier, the player’s agent says he has been assured by Lightning ownership that big No. 4 will be a member of the Lightning for life.
“I’ve been hearing a lot of the (trade) talk out there, but I was assured by (Lightning owner) Oren Koules within the last hour that it’s nothing more than speculation and rumors and there’s absolutely nothing to it,” agent Kent Hughes said. “Vinny Lecavalier fully expects to be a Tampa Bay Lightning for life and no one from ownership or management in Tampa Bay has given us any reason to believe otherwise.”
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Vinny & Tocchet Talk
by Paul on 12/16/08 at 07:41 PM ET
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from Lightning Strikes,
Lightning coach Rick Tocchet met with captain Vinny Lecavalier for about an hour after Tuesday’s practice at the St. Pete Times Forum.
Tocchet did not get into specifics about what they spoke, but said the meting was a good one. Broadly, the coach said the discussion was about how the locker room can better police itself, especially after Saturday’s dreadful 2-0 loss to the Senators in Ottawa.
“He cares. He’s a great kid,” Tocchet said. “He’s learning what it takes. It’s not only about him playing. It’s about what his team should be all about.”
Tocchet talked about cleaning up some sloppiness in how the Lightning is conducting itself on and off the ice.
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Tags: Rick+Tocchet, Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Continues To Deny
by Paul on 11/20/08 at 08:42 AM ET
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from Lightning Strkes,
On Saturday, Hockey Night in Canada’s Al Strachan said in an unsourced report, “I heard Vinny Lecavalier went in to ownership and said, ‘I didn’t like it under (former coach John) Tortorella. This is worse under this guy and you’ve got to get rid of him’ “
“I didn’t do it. I don’t know what else to say,” Lecavalier said Wednesday. Later, he reiterated, “I’m telling you, I didn’t say anything. I don’t think any of the guys did. He’s just saying that.”
Asked if he worries his reputation can be tarnished by such accusations, even if they are not true, Lecavalier said, “To tell you the truth, I don’t. (Strachan) said what he had to say ... but there weren’t facts.”
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Pick One Player - Vinny Or Iggy
by Paul on 10/29/08 at 09:13 AM ET
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from Adam Kimelman of NHL.com,
In the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, one of the most memorable exchanges occurred in Game 3, when the Lightning’s Vincent Lecavalier and the Flames’ Jarome Iginla, each team’s best player and biggest star, dropped the gloves.
The fight sparked both teams to a memorable seven-game series, eventually won by the Lightning.
Who won the fight that night in Calgary four years ago is pretty meaningless. What does matter, though, is who the better player is. That’s for the fans to decide.
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Tags: Jarome+Iginla, Vinny+Lecavalier,
Vinny Wants More Ice Time
by Paul on 10/28/08 at 07:26 PM ET
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from Lightning Strikes,
“It’s definitely a change,” Lecavalier said before the game with the Maple Leafs. “I would like to play more, and I like to play more. I want to get the 20 minutes in there, or 21 minutes. A lot of people say we played too much last year and I understand that. But 20, 21 minutes, I think, would be a good number.”
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
All Vinny
by Paul on 09/24/08 at 01:11 PM ET
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from Craig Custance of the Sporting News,
SN: Was there an element of redemption there after losing the captaincy and getting it back?
Lecavalier: Yeah. It feels great. When they told me, I was excited. It really motivates me to—you have a letter on the sweater; it’s extra motivation.
SN: So what are guys saying about Barry Melrose behind the bench so far?
Lecavalier: From what I hear, he’s very, very positive. You would think a guy after 15 years would make a few mistakes, but guys told me he was right on with the lines and he was very aware of what was going on on the ice. Guys are really happy. I’m excited to play for him.
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Will Lecavalier Be Ready For The Opener
by Paul on 09/24/08 at 07:40 AM ET
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from Lightning Strikes,
Bear with me here, even though this is more speculation and reading between the lines than anything.
We read in Tuesday’s paper that hockey ops chief Brian Lawton said he would not hesitate to keep star Vinny Lecavalier and defenseman Paul Ranger out of at least the season opener Oct. 4 in Prague if their rehabbing right shoulders were not ready to go. He said he might even put them on injured reserve to help the team manage their numbers. That’s a big hint not to be taken seriously, especially after watching Jussi Jokinen star at center this preseason.
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Tags: Paul+Ranger, Vinny+Lecavalier,
We Can Make It Official Now
by Paul on 09/18/08 at 12:13 PM ET
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from the Tampa Bay Lightning,
The Tampa Bay Lightning have named center Vincent Lecavalier as team captain, executive vice president of hockey operations Brian Lawton announced. Lecavalier, in his 11th year with the Lightning, previously served as captain during the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 seasons. Alternate captains will be announced prior to the start of the 2008-09 regular season.
“Vinny has displayed exemplary qualities on and off the ice through out his career,” Lawton said. “He is a natural leader in the locker room and sets a great example for others by the way he competes night in and night out. We are extremely proud to have him as captain of the Lightning!”
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Morning Line
by Paul on 09/01/08 at 08:20 AM ET
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“I think about getting hit and that’s what we have to worry about,” he said of playing in the preseason. The shoulder “has to be 100 percent, it has to be as strong as the other one. I’ve been working out hard to get there.
“I would like to play at least two preseason games, but I can’t say that I’ll be able to. I just don’t know how it’s going to feel. I don’t know how it’s going to react. I’m confident I will play in the regular-season opener but I can’t predict the future, so we’ll have to see.”
-Vinny Lecavalier quoted by the Tampa Tribune where you can read more as Lecavalier recovers from shoulder surgery.
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
The New Lightning Captain
by Paul on 08/25/08 at 12:45 PM ET
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via Adam Proteau of the Hockey News,
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but the Tampa Bay Lightning will name Vincent Lecavalier their captain sometime in the coming weeks, a Bolts official told The Hockey News.
“You would not be in the wrong to expect that kind of announcement,” said the official, who requested anonymity. “There’s no doubt this is Vinny’s team and we’re going to recognize that officially.”
added 1:36pm, from Damian Cristodero at Lightning Strikes,
Caught up with Vinny Lecavalier the other day, and the Lightning’s superstar center, coming off arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, said he is skating in his native Montreal and has no doubt he will be ready for training camp. As for being cleared for contact and being ready to start the regular season, he said, “I’m sure I’ll be ready to play.”
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Contract Details
by Paul on 07/12/08 at 10:07 PM ET
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from TSN,
Vincent Lecavalier’s new deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning will carry him close to his 40th birthday.
The 28-year-old franchise centre signed an 11-year, $85-million contract extension with the Lightning that will kick in for the 2009-2010 season and run through the 2019-2020 campaign.
Lecavalier will earn $10-million per season in salary and bonuses for the first six seasons of the deal, before dropping to $8.5-million in 2016-2017, $4-million in 2017-2018, $1.5-million in 2018-2019 and $1-million and 2019-2020.
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier’s Value
by Paul on 06/22/08 at 08:26 AM ET
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from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe,
Now, the tea leaves. Given that only a small percentage of players work beyond their late 30s, a man of Lecavalier’s age, and riches already banked, is probably looking at no more than an eight-year extension, bringing him to age 37. The league soon will announce that a max deal, based on leaguewide revenues and the salary-cap figure, will be pegged around $11 million a year.
Exposed in the free agent market next summer, Lecavalier likely would entice at least a couple of suitors (are you listening, Montreal?) to offer him a max deal. To remain in Tampa, where many of his extended family members have moved in recent years, he probably would lock in around eight years at $80 million.
more NHL talk…
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Let Vinny Tell You How He Is Doing
by Paul on 04/29/08 at 04:28 PM ET
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The Bolts bring Vinny Lecavlier and his shoulder to you.
Thanks to Bolts Report for the pointer…
Watch the video below…
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Update
by Paul on 04/15/08 at 09:41 PM ET
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from Bolts Report,
The Lightning just released this statement regarding Lecavalier’s surgery:
Tampa Bay Lightning center Vincent Lecavalier underwent successful surgery today to repair the Glenoid Labrum in his right shoulder. The surgery was performed by noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.
Lecavalier dislocated the shoulder in the Lightning’s game on April 3 at Washington. A detailed rehabilitation protocol will be established by Dr. Andrews’ personal physical therapist and will be conducted under the supervision of the Lightning medical staff.
a little more…
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Cheap Shot On Vinny
by Paul on 04/04/08 at 08:57 AM ET
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from Lightning Strikes,
Vinny Lecavalier will have an MRI on Friday on his injured right shoulder, hurt in Thursday’s game with the Capitals as he fell after a hit by Washington’s Matt Cooke.
Regardless of the outcome, coach John Tortorella said Lecavalier will not play in Saturday’s season finale against the Thrashers.
“It’s an absolute cheap shot,’’ coach John Tortorella said after the game. “It’s a guy in a vulnerable position. It’s interference. The puck isn’t anywhere near him and it isn’t called. It’s an absolute cheap shot.”
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier May Have Wrist Surgery
by Paul on 03/21/08 at 10:50 AM ET
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from Lightning Strikes,
Kent Hughes, agent for Lightning star Vinny Lecavalier, said Friday his client might needs surgery on his left wrist in the offseason and at the very least almost certainly will not play in this summer’s World Championships.
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Talks About The Rumor He Wants To Leave
by Paul on 02/18/08 at 04:02 PM ET
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from Lightning Strikes,
Lightning star Vinny Lecavalier said he knows all about the rumor that came out of a Hockey Night in Canada broadcast that said he was tired of playing in a small market and would asked to be traded to perhaps New York, Los Angeles or, surprise, his hometown of Montreal.
Lecavalier said he was called by his agent, who asked Lecavalier if he wanted him to “do something about’’ the story. But Lecavalier said he would rather the rumor die of its own weight. Lecavalier reiterated he is not looking to be anywhere else.
“There was a time when I thought the grass was greener somewhere else,’’ Lecavalier has said of his trade request in 2001 amidst much rancor with coach John Tortorella that almost got him moved the the Maple Leafs, “but it’s not.’’
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
A Goal Worth Another Look
by Alanah McGinley on 01/07/08 at 03:35 PM ET
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From Erik Erlendsson at The Tampa Tribune,
Hockey Web site Kukla’s Korner had a video link to a highlight of the goal with the description of “a great between-the-legs move” by Lecavalier.
Whatever anybody else wants to call the play, Lecavalier just calls it a bit of instinct combined with plenty of luck.
“I don’t really think about it ... I just kind of do it,” Lecavalier said of the play. “I knew I wanted to fake goaltender Ray Emery out, but for me, the worse thing is that after it happened, if I had missed it I would have been pretty mad at myself and I would have thought that I should have just shot the puck.
more... about Lecavalier’s season, and go here to see the video.
*thanks to The Tampa Tribune for the KK mention!
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Tags: tampa+bay+lightning, Vinny+Lecavalier,
Vinny or Sid?
by Alanah McGinley on 12/10/07 at 04:47 PM ET
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From Pierre LeBrun at Sportsnet.ca,
Crosby will definitely be “The Man” in the NHL for the next 15 years and deservedly so. But are people overlooking what Lecavalier is doing for the Tampa Bay Lightning right now?
“He is the best player in the league; I don’t think there’s any question about that,” Lightning GM Jay Feaster said on the phone to Sportsnet.ca from Tampa on Monday. “I thought he was the best player in the league last year. I think he’s the most complete two-way player in the game today.”
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Tags: sidney+crosby, tampa+bay+lightning, Vinny+Lecavalier,
Brad Richards Off to Career Best Start
by Alanah McGinley on 11/19/07 at 03:50 PM ET
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From Erik Erlendsson at The Tampa Tribune,
Richards is off to his best start through 19 games and is on pace for a career high in goals and right on pace to match his career best in points. And while the point production is a big part of Richards’ game, it’s not the sole indicator of how he’s playing.
In watching Richards on the ice this season, he looks quicker, he looks stronger, he appears to have more confidence and seems more intense, noticeable in his fight Wednesday against Carolina’s Justin Williams that left him with a cut on his lip.
“I feel a lot better, I do,” Richards said. “Sometimes you can’t control the points and it would be nice to bury a few more chances, but overall I feel way better, way stronger so I feel a lot more confident going into this part of the season. Whether or not my start - and I think it’s been a good start and that’s obviously going to help - but I feel different and I feel a lot better than I did last year.”
*Also recently online at The Tampa Tribune, teammate Vinny Lecavalier’s exotic summer vacations, with a few photos
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Tags: brad+richards, tampa+bay+lighting, vinny+lecavalier,
