Andreychuk says he'll play

Details remain but the veteran is expected back with the Lightning again.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published May 21, 2002

TAMPA -- Dave Andreychuk's future is in the Lightning's hands, which means the left wing will be in a Tampa Bay uniform next season.

Andreychuk, 38, who scored a team-high 21 goals last season and became the strongest voice in the locker room, said he will play if general manager Jay Feaster picks up his option.

"I don't see myself going anywhere else and I believe they want me to stay here," Andreychuk said Monday after playing in a charity golf tournament put on by Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks at Old Memorial Golf Club.

"If he wants to send me the papers, I'm back."

"Until I hear it from him, I'm not in a situation to say it's done," Feaster said.

But of picking up Andreychuk's option, he said, "It is my intention to do that."

The option will pay Andreychuk $850,000, the same as last season. The deal, which will be completed when Feaster sends letters to the player, his agent, the NHL and the players association, is expected to be done by the end of the month.

Andreychuk, a future Hall of Famer, is an important piece for the Lightning.

He picked up the slack when injuries sidelined Brian Holzinger, Fredrik Modin and Martin St. Louis for extended periods.

He averaged 16:25 of ice time, killed penalties, was on the power play, led the team with five game-winning goals, led its forwards with 74 blocked shots and won 53 percent of his faceoffs.

Andreychuk's team-high nine power-play goals gave him 245, four off Phil Esposito's league record. His 593 goals are third among left wings.

"I don't think there was a single optional skate that he missed and that said something," Feaster said. "When you see a guy like Andy leading by example, that's critical. He is a warrior. He is a special player. If everybody played the game the way he plays, it would be a fun game to watch."

Andreychuk said he likes his teammates and the direction of the team. He said discussions with Feaster convinced him the general manager will make every effort to have the entire team signed and in training camp.

"That was a little stumbling block for me," Andreychuk said. "We have a lot of guys (17) to sign. I wanted to know how they were going to go about signing these guys. We've got to get everybody back to get off to a good start."

Andreychuk said he and Feaster also discussed a long-term future with the team.

The native of Hamilton, Ontario, is not saying next season will be his last, but he wants to know that when he retires he will be considered for positions, coaching or administrative, within the organization.

That message of stability, Andreychuk said, was important for his wife, Sue, and daughters Taylor, 9, Caci, 6, and Brooke, 1.

Asked if Feaster sufficiently addressed his concerns, Andreychuk said, "He did. We talked about a lot of things."

RAMSAY UPDATE: Feaster said the Ducks have not requested to speak to associate coach Craig Ramsay about their coaching position. Speculation was that Anaheim general manager Bryan Murray would have interest because he was GM of the Panthers when Ramsay was a Florida assistant.