Lightning

Prospal headed for free agency

Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk also is a likely unrestricted free agent.

NASHVILLE - Lightning left wing Vinny Prospal said all he is looking for is a "fair deal."

General manager Jay Feaster said he believes such an offer has been made. Prospal disagrees. The impasse means that on July1, Tampa Bay's points leader almost certainly will be an unrestricted free agent, eligible to sign with any team.

"At this point, I don't think we're going to get it done, simply because I don't think the player is prepared to accept what we're offering," Feaster said Thursday between interviewing players eligible for this weekend's draft. "Where the player has countered, it is cost prohibitive."

Neither Feaster nor Prospal's agent, Rich Winter, would discuss numbers, but it is believed the Lightning is offering a five-year deal at $2.5-million a year, nearly $1-million more than last season's salary of $1.55-million.

It is believed Prospal is asking for $3.5-million. Over the life of the contract, that is a $5-million difference.

The Lightning also is having urgent discussions with captain Dave Andreychuk. The left wing is asking for $2-million in a one-year deal. Tampa Bay is offering $1.2-million.

Neither side has indicated a contract will be reached before July1, when Andreychuk also can become unrestricted.

Still, it is Prospal's situation that is most dire.

"They have a decision to make about how much they really want me to be back," Prospal said from the town of Hluboka nad Vltavou in his native Czech Republic. "We made our mind clear how we would like the contract to be done. It's up to management to decide which way it's going to go."

"We think we've stepped up in a big way," Feaster said, adding talks would continue into the free-agent period. "It's something that I do believe the marketplace, in one way or another, is going to tell us whether we missed the boat on our offer or there's a bigger deal there to be done."

Prospal, 28, can become unrestricted because he is a 10-year pro (NHL and minor leagues) and made less than the league's average salary of $1.79-million. He had career highs of 79 points and 57 assists last season, and tied a career high with 22 goals.

"It would be a huge disappointment for me to play somewhere else," Prospal said. "I would have to look at it as another chapter in the book. But right now, I don't really want to close the chapter."

Prospal, wife Monika and son Vaclav, 3, love the Tampa Bay area (Prospal is an avid golfer), and Prospal's pinpoint passes helped Vinny Lecavalier to a career-high 33 goals.

"He's been a great winger for me," Lecavalier said. "I got 33 goals and that was because of him."

Prospal said he expects talks to fire up toward the end of the month.

"There's always time for compromise," he said. "But it's got to be on both sides."

Of the end-point, he said, "The grass is greener for me in Tampa. I would love to see my future in Tampa. Since the day I got to Tampa it's working out really well for me. From that standpoint, why would I go somewhere else? But if it's not going to work out, then I don't have a choice."

"We'll continue to talk," Feaster said. "It's been a very cordial and open discussion. As long as the lines of communication are open, there's always a possibility."

PREDATORS: Nashville hired Peter Horachek as an assistant coach and promoted assistant Brent Peterson to associate coach.

Horachek was coach of the Predators' AHL affiliate in Milwaukee. He led the Admirals to a 32-27-14-7 record last season and into the playoffs.

Horachek replaces Paul Gardner who had been a Predators assistant for each of the team's first five seasons.

- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

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