Boyle, Lightning avoid arbitration

The Lightning agreed to a one-year, $850,000 contract with 26-year-old defenseman Dan Boyle on Tuesday, leaving center Vinny Prospal as the club's final arbitration-eligible player.

Boyle, whose hearing was scheduled Friday, scored five goals and had 20 points in 41 games with Tampa Bay after being acquired from the Panthers in January for a fifth-round selection in the 2003 draft.

"Everybody wants to avoid arbitration, especially since I had a couple of tough years in Florida," Boyle said. "We were trying to concentrate on the second half in Tampa Bay, which went well. There's no promise what will happen next year, but the fact the coaches showed some confidence in me gave me a boost."

Boyle, an offensive-minded defenseman, impressed the team with his aptitude in transition and on the power play.

"He brings a dimension to the team we were lacking," general manager Jay Feaster said. "He can take it behind the net and carry it out and he's a threat to rush up ice. Clearly, he's a guy who brings the offensive dimension and a bit of a riverboat gambler in that regard."

Boyle was seeking about $1-million annually. The Lightning is believed to have offered around $700,000.

Feaster expects Prospal to become the first player in franchise history to go through with an arbitration hearing unless the center becomes personally involved in negotiations. In 81 games, Prospal, 27, tied a career high and was second on the Lightning with 55 points. He was also second in assists (37), five behind Brad Richards, and third in goals (18), three off team leader Dave Andreychuk.

The Lightning might pay the tab for Prospal's comeback season. He had 29 points (five goals) in 2000-2001 with Ottawa and Florida.

"(Arbitration) is all statistically driven, so that's what we're up against," Feaster said. "If you have a good year in a platform year -- one where you are looking to get a contract at the end of it -- you look at players who had similar years in a platform year. The agent has one sense of where it will end in terms of an award and clearly the club has another."

ISLANDERS: The team avoided arbitration by re-signing right wing Mark Parrish to a two-year deal.

MIGHTY DUCKS: Defenseman Ruslan Salei re-signed to a two-year contract.

PENGUINS: Defenseman Dick Tarnstrom was claimed off waivers from the Islanders.

LARIONOV TOUR: Red Wings center Igor Larionov is using the Stanley Cup's tour through Russia to raise money for impoverished Soviet hockey veterans.

Larionov's two days with the Cup were to include three charity games, the proceeds of which will go to retired Soviet players left in poverty by the collapse of state support for athletes. About 3,000 attended a charity game in Voskresensk between teams mainly of Soviet hockey veterans and headed by Larionov and former NHL defenseman Vyachevslav Fetisov.

COYOTES: Daniel Briere, who led the team with 32 goals last season, avoided arbitration by signing a two-year deal.

-- Times wires contributed to this report.