Kukla's Korner Hockey
Entries with the tag: Vinny+Lecavalier
Lecavalier Not Happy With Malkin
by Paul on 01/15/12 at 04:52 PM ET
Comments (28)
from Damian Cristodero tweets,
Lightning’s Lecavalier left arena without talking to reporters. Coach Boucher said he believes Lecavalier thought Malkin went for his knees
Malkin told Pittsburgh reporters he was ducking to protect himself from a check.. “I wanted to save myself,” Malkin said.
Near the end of the video below, you will see Malkin ducking on a check from Lecavalier.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Evgeni+Malkin, Vinny+Lecavalier,
Video- Lecavalier Wins It in OT
by Paul on 05/01/11 at 09:17 PM ET
Comments (1)
The Lecavalier Leap gives the goal an exclamation point!
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Morning Line
by Paul on 03/18/11 at 07:58 AM ET
Comments (2)
“I’m talking about Tampa Bay’s Lecavalier, who became involved in a slashing affair with P.K. Subban late in the first period – after what appeared to be an attempted slew-foot by the first-year defenceman on Lecavalier. There was some pushing and shoving between the two, which is where this should have been brought to an abrupt stop by the officials with a couple of minor penalties – and wasn’t.
Only nine seconds remained when Lecavalier retaliated to a Subban slash with a two-hander which, in the view of the officials merited only a minor for the Canadiens defenceman and a slashing major and game misconduct for Lecavalier.
The easy thing would be to blame the officials, but the guy who should bear the brunt of the blame is Lecavalier. Subban is trying to develop a reputation, and the best way to do it is to get involved in clashes with superstars.
What I’m saying is that Lecavalier should know better than to react the way he did….”
-Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette where you can read more about the Tampa/Montreal game.
Watch the slash if you missed this KK post last night.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: P.K.+Subban, Vinny+Lecavalier,
Video- Lecavalier/Subban Slash Match
by Paul on 03/17/11 at 07:50 PM ET
Comments (17)
P.K. Subban:gets 2 minutes, slashing while Vincent Lecavalier receives 5 minutes for slashing, a 10 and a game misconduct.
19:51 Montreal P.K. Subban: 2 minutes, slashing
19:51 Tampa Bay Vincent Lecavalier: 10 minutes, game misconduct
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: P.K.+Subban, Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Returns To Montreal Without The Swirling Rumors
by Paul on 03/16/11 at 10:32 PM ET
Comments (1)
from Damian Cristodero of the St. Petersburg Times,
Everything got better when new owner Jeff Vinik hired general manager Stave Yzerman, who publicly declared he was not trading Lecavalier.
Lecavalier rumors were constant the previous two years. And though Lecavalier had assurances from then co-owner Oren Koules and GM Brian Lawton he would not be moved, there was speculation he nearly was traded at the June 2009 draft to Montreal for goaltender Carey Price, center Tomas Plekanec and defenseman P.K. Subban.
Lecavalier, who in July 2008 signed an 11-year, $85 million deal with Tampa Bay, declined to talk about it. And all agent Kent Hughes would say was, “An individual who goes to work under less than ideal conditions is more likely to be distracted, less likely to feel part of the team solution.”
At this point, more important is what is happening on the ice.
“He’s using his body. He’s coring goals. He’s creating chances,” center Steven Stamkos said. “He’s got that confidence, and that’s the No. 1 thing as a player.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Out With Fractured Hand
by Paul on 11/11/10 at 10:04 PM ET
Comments (0)
via Tampa Bay Lightning tweet,
The Lightning’s Vinny Lecavalier will miss 3-4 weeks with a non-displaced fracture in his right hand suffered tonight in Washington.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Center Of Attention
by Paul on 07/29/10 at 01:08 PM ET
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from Scott Burnside of ESPN,
With training camp still beyond the horizon and loads of free agents still twisting in the wind there’s always time to start thinking about players that might capture our imaginations come training camp and beyond, those players that may step to the fore or wilt under the pressure of our watchful eye. And so it is that we take a look at the top players by position that we’ll be paying particular attention come the start of the 2010-2011 season.
Down the middle we’ll be curious about how a group of veteran pivots respond to some tough times, and what a couple of kids do after jumping into the spotlight last season.
Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning
The past few years haven’t been kind to the former No. 1 overall draft pick and the face of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Whether it was shoulder and wrist injuries or rumors of being dealt because of his monster contract, a cloud has hovered over Lecavalier. The Lightning captain has seen his goal totals drop systematically from 52 to 24 over the past four seasons. But new GM Steve Yzerman has apparently assured Lecavalier that he has no intention of moving him and perhaps that, along with good health, will see Lecavalier bounce back to elite status. If he does the Bolts should be back in the postseason.
continue for more centers…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Morning Line
by Paul on 06/01/10 at 08:13 AM ET
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“Steve Yzerman could be the best thing that ever happened to Vinny Lecavalier. What Vinny really needs right now is direction from a man like Steve.”
-Jacques Demers. More on Lecavalier from Gary Shelton of the St. Petersburg Times.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Steve+Yzerman, Vinny+Lecavalier,
All Vinny Lecavalier
by Paul on 04/23/10 at 11:49 AM ET
Comments (0)
Damian Cristodero of Lightining Strikes talks to Vinny Lecavalier,
On being an elite player again: Yeah, definitely. That was three years ago (winning the Richard Trophy). It wasn’t 10 years ago. I’m still young. I’m still strong. I’m going to come back next year and try to do it.
On pinpointing last season’s troubles: I felt that maybe I could have shot even more. It’s really tough to say. I know I say that every single time, but it really is confidence and what you build on. There was so much inconsistency, I never really got into a rhythm. A little bit more after the (Olympic) break, but you don’t want to start when there’s 20 games left. You want to start at the first of the year. I felt I trained hard last summer and was ready to go. It didn’t happen the way I wanted it to.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Evening Line
by Paul on 04/01/10 at 05:00 PM ET
Comments (0)
There are GMs who just might see his cap hit ($7.7 million) as a distasteful but simple way to get to the salary cap floor while they sell at least the hope that Lecavalier might decide he does want to again play to his ability. Factor in a buyout over the last four years and it’s a doable deal for certain clubs. Toronto could certainly afford it and that market may well appeal to Lecavalier. The New York Rangers do things like this all the time and never seem to tire of it even when they regularly blow up in GM Glen Sather’s face.
-Jim Kelley at Sports Illustrated. More on this plus additional hockey talk.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Time For Lecavalier The Leader To Show Up
by Paul on 03/02/10 at 07:07 AM ET
Comments (4)
from Martin Fennelly of the Tampa Tribune,
The Lightning are coming off the Olympic break, the one they went into reeling. Vinny Lecavalier led the way, reeling right along. It’s time for No. 4 to get off his butt, or his contract, and be a captain and lead a playoff charge, score like a shooting star, perform like the highest-paid player in the National Hockey League.
Don’t hold your breath.
That Vinny doesn’t play here anymore.
Vincent Lecavalier is making $10 million this season, more than Sidney Crosby, more than Alex Ovechkin, more than anyone. Did you know that? Some nights it’s like common thievery. Vinny is shortchanging his team - and his own talent.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
New Tampa Owner Must Deal With Lecavalier First
by Paul on 02/15/10 at 07:58 PM ET
Comments (1)
from Gary Shelton of the St. Petersburg Times,
Why has Lecavalier backslid? Who knows? One theory is that Lecavalier isn’t playing well because he doesn’t trust the current ownership. If so, that would be disappointing, because most competitors don’t get their fire from the guy in the owner’s box. But if I’m Vinik, I have a heart-to-heart with Lecavalier on the first day I own the team. I tell him I think he is capable of more.
Over time, Vinik has a lot of questions to answer. He has to decide what to do with his general manager, with his head coach, with his marketing plan, with his budget, with his blueprint.
First, there is Vinny.
For a new owner, that’s where hope begins.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
The Lecavalier Question
by Paul on 02/08/10 at 02:39 PM ET
Comments (1)
from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,
When the Montreal Canadiens make the transition from Bob Gainey to Pierre Gauthier later today – presumably on an interim basis to start – I suspect the one question that everybody wants answered is one that won’t be; and that is, what was the plan that Gainey actually had in mind for the 2009-10 season and not the one that was actually put in place, which involved throwing a lot of money at Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri. I suspect two things: One, that it wasn’t – and that the moves that he put in place were a fallback plan after his pursuit of Vincent Lecavalier fell short; and two, we won’t hear the definitive answer in a public forum, even if it would a lot of last year’s machinations into their proper perspective.
But like a lot of Habs watchers, you had to think that Gainey knew the value of putting a French-Canadian superstar such as Lecavalier in a Montreal sweater, and not just because of his heritage either.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Here We Go, Lightning & Vinny Talk Too
by Paul on 01/28/10 at 09:18 PM ET
Comments (3)
from Ken Campbell and Adam Proteau of The Hockey News,
The Tampa Bay Lightning ownership fiasco could come to an end soon, but speculation that the team will deal captain Vincent Lecavalier is just beginning to heat up.
According to multiple sources, the NHL is negotiating the sale of the Lightning and the five-acre parcel of land adjacent to the St. Petes Times Forum from the OK Hockey Group to Boston-based financier Jeffrey Vinik for an estimated price of $170 million.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier With Another Between The Legs Goal Tonight
by Paul on 01/27/10 at 09:47 PM ET
Comments (3)
Tampa Bay with a 3-0 shutout of Montreal tonight, highlighted by Vinny’s goal.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Still Slumping
by Paul on 01/21/10 at 11:13 PM ET
Comments (0)
from John Romano of the St. Petersburg Times,
...here we are, 50 games into a season, and this is a Lecavalier we barely know. The player who led the entire NHL in goals less than three years ago is now third on his own team. A player who once scored 52 goals in a season is now on pace for 21.
He has gone from being the face of a franchise to being another face in the crowd. When his name comes up in trade rumors, no one around here is screaming that Lightning ownership is out of its mind.
So how did it get to this point, Vinny?
And, furthermore, what are you going to do about it?
Everyone around the Lightning seems to be waiting for Lecavalier to break out. For that game when he skates onto the ice and, once again, looks as if he owns it. For the moment when he realizes, at age 29, he is frittering away one of the prime years of his career.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lawton Laughs At Lecavalier Rumor
by Paul on 01/18/10 at 09:00 PM ET
Comments (0)
via Damian Cristodero of Lightning Strikes,
The Ottawa Sun reported Sunday, citing an unnamed league source, that Rangers GM Glen Sather contacted Tampa Bay GM Brian Lawton in an effort to spark trade talks for Lecavalier, the Lightning captain who has a no-trade clause.
That report, according to Lawton, is “completely false.” Lawton laughed and said he hasn’t even spoken to Sather in weeks.
“He hasn’t contacted me to inquire about that,” Lawton said. “That absolutely did not happen.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier In The Big Apple?
by Paul on 01/17/10 at 08:00 AM ET
Comments (3)
from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun,
Vincent Lecavalier could be headed to Broadway and a reunion with John Tortorella, his coach from the 2004 Stanley Cup-champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
A league source said New York Rangers GM Glen Sather — who’s desperate to find an answer to his club’s season-long, goal-scoring struggles — reached out to Lightning counterpart Brian Lawton to spark trade talks.
A second league executive insisted Lecavalier, who had just 11 goals in 46 games this season entering last night’s action — is on the market.
While the centre would have to waive his no-movement clause to be reunited with Tortorella, the talk is the Rangers are willing to offer up a package to kick-start an offence that had scored 120 goals in 47 games.
That whisper is that package would be D Matt Gilroy, D Wade Redden and either C Brandon Dubinsky or RW Ryan Callahan.
continued plus additional rumors…
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Finding His Game
by Paul on 12/30/09 at 08:52 AM ET
Comments (0)
from Erik Erlendsson of Bolts Report,
Lecavalier and long-time girlfriend Caroline Portelance are expecting the couple’s first child in May. It’s something Lecavalier will discuss when the time is right, but that time is not right now.
So, the focus of what is in the paper is Lecavalier’s play of late, which has been on the rise since a a two-month long slump. And it’s not just the three goals and eight assists in the past seven games. It’s been the whole package, driving the net, being physical, playing good defense, backchecking, winning faceoffs.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lightning Need To Move Lecavalier In Order To Play Compete With The Elite Teams
by Paul on 12/25/09 at 10:00 PM ET
Comments (1)
from Craig Custance of the Sporting News,
If Lawton wants to rebuild the team the right way, and some day join the Blackhawks, Penguins and Capitals at the top, captain Vinny Lecavalier has to go.
Right now, his contract is threatening to suffocate any legitimate chance at success for Lawton’s plan. It’s not necessarily the $7.7 million annual salary cap hit, although that’s a pretty hefty number. It’s the cash that he’s owed. Every year until 2016, Lecavalier gets $10 million. It’s way too much money for a franchise that’s already struggling financially.
Factor in his lack of offensive production, and he’s a luxury the Lightning can’t afford.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Let’s Talk Vinny
by Paul on 12/14/09 at 12:23 PM ET
Comments (1)
from Lyle Richardson at The Hockey News,
Don’t look now, but the Vincent Lecavalier trade rumors have started up again.
ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun recently suggested Vincent Lecavalier didn’t look happy playing for Tampa Bay, noting his offensive struggles this season and claiming his coach didn’t seem to know how to use him.
While Lecavalier is in the first year of his 11-year, $70 million-plus contract, which also contains a no-movement clause, LeBrun wondered what would happen next if Lecavalier’s situation didn’t improve in the coming months.
That sparked further speculation later in the week as columnist Yvon Pedneault and former NHL coach Pat Burns also weighed in on the possibility of Lecavalier moving later in the season.
continued plus more rumor talk…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Evening Line
by Paul on 12/11/09 at 09:34 PM ET
Comments (3)
They would move him in a Hollywood minute.
-Barry Melrose when asked if Tampa would trade Vinny Lecavalier.
Watch below as Melrose and E.J, Hradek discuss Vinny along with other players who may be moved this season.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Reasons Why Lecavalier Will Stay In Tampa
by Paul on 12/09/09 at 11:36 AM ET
Comments (0)
from Spector at FoxSports,
Whether or not you choose to believe the speculation there are three significant factors preventing Lecavalier from being dealt this season; his “no-movement” clause, his expensive contract, and the NHL salary cap.
It’s widely believed last season Lecavalier was close to being dealt but a disagreement between the club’s owners prevented such a move. Regardless, it was easier to move him last season as he didn’t have a movement clause.
Sure, his whopping 11-year, $70 million-plus contract with a movement clause would start this season but Lecavalier was a hot commodity last season and the Bolts ownership could have moved him without his permission to any club they wished.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Needs A Fresh Start
by Paul on 12/07/09 at 11:43 AM ET
Comments (3)
from Elliotte Friedman of CBC,
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.
more plus additional hockey talk…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
An Unhappy Vinny?
by Paul on 12/05/09 at 11:32 PM ET
Comments (1)
from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,
The more I watch Vincent Lecavalier play this season, the more I start to wonder about his future with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He doesn’t look happy to me. He’s not firing on all cylinders. His coach doesn’t seem to know how to use him. It’s just a bad fit right now. And the timing, well, let’s just say he’s in the first year of a massive lifetime deal that pays him $70 million over the first seven years.
more and other topics, some which were discussed on the HNIC Hotstove tonight…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Frustrated
by Paul on 12/03/09 at 10:48 PM ET
Comments (0)
from Damian Cristodero of the St. Petersburg Times,
“The frustration level is very high,” Lecavalier said Thursday. “It’s all about confidence. I see the puck coming, and I tense up.”
It is one thing that Lecavalier is on pace for 16 goals, his fewest since he had 13 in 1998-99 as a rookie. That he spoke so freely about a lack of confidence is extraordinary.
This is a former 50-goal scorer who from 2006-08 racked up 200 points and was considered one of the best in the world.
“Squeezing the stick,” he said. “Around the net, when you don’t have a lot of goals, your vision is not the same. I feel great everywhere on the ice but around the net. It doesn’t shut down, but for some reason, your vision gets smaller.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Get Ready, Here Comes The Lecavalier Trade Talk
by Paul on 11/04/09 at 04:16 PM ET
Comments (8)
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
Comments (0)
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 10:12 PM ET
Comments (1)
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 09:17 AM ET
Comments (0)
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 01:28 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 03:15 PM ET
Comments (1)
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 08:49 AM ET
Comments (0)
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 11:50 AM ET
Comments (0)
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 07:45 PM ET
Comments (1)
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.”
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Doubtful Lecavalier Gets Moved At The Draft
by Paul on 06/24/09 at 10:13 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.
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Demers On Trading Lecavalier
by Paul on 06/10/09 at 02:58 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.”
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Tags: Jacques+Demers, Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Plans To Be In The Best Shape Of His Career
by Paul on 05/28/09 at 05:27 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.”
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier & Jack Johnson Talk
by Paul on 05/18/09 at 09:12 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.
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Tags: jack+johnson, Vinny+Lecavalier,
Evening Line
by Paul on 04/14/09 at 08:16 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.
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Keep Or Trade Lecavalier
by Paul on 04/14/09 at 07:17 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.
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Surgery For Lecavalier
by Paul on 04/02/09 at 12:06 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.
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
Lecavalier Hopes To Find His Game In Montreal
by Paul on 03/25/09 at 10:12 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.”
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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.
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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.
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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.’‘
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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.
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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.
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Brian Lawton On Vinny Lecavalier
by Paul on 01/15/09 at 03:35 PM ET
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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.
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Tags: Brian+Lawton, Vinny+Lecavalier,
Teams Really Interested In Vinny
by Paul on 01/15/09 at 10:45 AM ET
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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?
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Tags: Vinny+Lecavalier,
