Andreychuk stays put, as does price

The Lightning picks up his option for the same base salary.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published June 26, 2002

If all goes well, Dave Andreychuk will get his 600th goal and maybe even become the league's highest-scoring left wing on the power play with the Lightning.

General manager Jay Feaster picked up the option on Andreychuk's contract Tuesday, and said the future Hall of Famer told him on the telephone "he's ready to go."

The contract will pay the same $850,000 base salary and contain the same incentives that last season boosted Andreychuk's compensation to $1.1-million. Andreychuk, through agent Roland Thompson, asked that some bonuses be moved to base salary.

Feaster declined, saying he did not want to set what he believed would be a bad precedent.

"I told him," Feaster said, "'As much as I love you and love the contributions you made to the club, if I start redoing contracts, where do I draw the line, and who do I upset when I do?"'

"I talked to Jay, and to me, I was always coming back and we were done," Andreychuk said. "I'm really looking forward to (next season); I think things are starting to fall into place."

Andreychuk, 38, had a team-high 21 goals last season to give him 593, third among left wings.

His team-high nine power-play goals gave him 245, four off Phil Esposito's record.

Andreychuk had a team-high five winning goals, averaged 16:25 of ice time, led Tampa Bay's forwards with 74 blocks and won 53 percent of his faceoffs.

More important was the way he took over the locker room.

Because of the Lightning's injuries, Andreychuk played more than 20 minutes in 24 of the team's final 30 games. Tampa Bay hopes to decrease Andreychuk's ice time to keep him fresh for special-teams play.

Andreychuk would welcome the change.

"I know it's been discussed between John (coach Tortorella) and Andy," Feaster said, adding it will not diminish Andreychuk's impact.

"He's such a presence and such an example to the younger players, whether he plays 13 minutes or 23, he's a warrior when he does it."