Here, at the bottom line, memories are rarely fond.
Friendships are forgotten and vows sometimes are misplaced. Emotions are checked andnumbers do most of the talking.
Here, at the bottom line, the Lightning is back at work.
You knew, eventually, it would come to this. A fistful of weeks past the Stanley Cup playoffs and feelings are no longer warm, nor fuzzy.
Dave Andreychuk is unmoved by his offer.
Vinny Prospal is unhappy with his offer. Some lesser players might soon discover there will be no offer.
Eventually, inevitably, it was bound to happen. The Lightning always has been a bottom-line kind of outfit. Revenues? Too low. Taxes? Too high. Free agents? Not enough box tops.
Here then is a new bottom line to consider:
It's time for the Lightning to ante up.
Not out of loyalty to players; they already are handsomely paid. Not out of loyalty to fans; they haven't exactly crowded the aisles.
Lightning ownership needs to invest in this team for the same reason it has avoided doing so in the recent past:
Because it makes good business sense.
If the past decade taught us anything, it is that Tampa Bay is not yet a terrific hockey market. There is not enough tradition, not enough disposable income to generate the kind of revenues needed to guarantee profits.
Which is why this is a critical moment in the franchise's future. General manager Jay Feaster fashioned a low-budget, high-yield roster last season that captured the market's attention just in time for the postseason.
Now it is imperative to build on that. We already know a mediocre team will produce mediocre interest and mediocre revenues. So it's time to try something different. To see what happens when there is a commitment to achieve.
Frankly, the early returns looked gloomy. First with Andreychuk. Then with Prospal. But Feaster says it is too soon to judge ownership's commitment.
"We did make tremendous strides last year and we have to continue on that path. The last thing we want is to be the one-hit wonder," Feaster said. "Organizationally, we're committed to improving the hockey team. Now does that mean fans should expect us to double the payroll? That's not reality.
"We have to recognize this is not a big revenue market ... and we have to operate the team as a business."
Which means making hard, unemotional decisions. And Feaster began during the weekend, acquiring left wing Cory Stillman from St. Louis.
Stillman is a similar player to Prospal, a veteran who can provide supplemental scoring but never will be a centerpiece. The difference is Stillman probably will get a one-year deal in the $2.5-million range while Prospal seeks a five-year deal for an average of $3.5-million.
The only thing worse than failing to invest in the right players would be investing too much in the wrong players. For a small-market team, bloated contracts can weigh heavily for years down the road.
Prospal is coming off a career year and is seeking the contract of a lifetime. Nothing wrong with that. Just as there's nothing wrong with the Lightning deciding the money could be better spent elsewhere.
And that's the key to the offseason.
The Lightning might not be able to afford a lot, but it certainly can't afford to stand still.
Feaster says the payroll is due to increase by $5-million. That's not going to put the Lightning in neighborhoods with the Rangers or Capitals, but it makes Tampa Bay one of the few franchises expected to upgrade.
Acquiring Stillman was the first positive sign. Getting Andreychuk under contract should be the next. Unlike Prospal, Andreychuk's leadership and impact cannot be duplicated by finding a player with similar statistics.
Goaltending already was addressed with John Grahame, the front line should continue to mature with Vinny Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis and the team's emotional core would remain intact with Andreychuk's return.
That means Feaster's final mission of the offseason would be finding a top four defenseman in free agency or through a trade.
"We have budgeted significant increases to keep this club together," Feaster said. "There is a total commitment to continue building on our success. But we have to build in a way that makes sense for our finances.
"If we were putting 20,000 people in the stands for 41 home dates, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. Bill Davidson has been clear to say if this thing turns around and generates a positive cash flow, he'll put the money back into the team. I totally believe that."
For that to happen, the team must continue moving forward.
