Lightning will have busy summer
On one hand, Jay Feaster says an overhaul is not needed. On the other, he hints anything is possible.
By TOM JONES
Published May 2, 2006
TAMPA - One by one, they met with coach John Tortorella and general manager Jay Feaster on Monday. They each received a book called Five Dysfunctions of a Team , a fable about an ex-CEO who comes out of retirement to whip a bunch of executives into a team. Then the Lightning players left for the summer.
Some won't be back. Changes are coming after the Lightning squeaked into the playoffs then was bounced in five games.
Those changes likely will start in goal, where Tortorella admitted he made a mistake turning the No.1 reigns over to John Grahame after Nikolai Khabibulin left for free agency.
"In my view, I felt Johnny Grahame was ready to take the next step to be a No.1 goalie," Tortorella said. "That falls on my shoulders in that assessment. Honestly, now that it's all over, it was the wrong assessment by me. He didn't play as well as I thought he would. Johnny Grahame tried. Was it good enough? No, plain and simply, it wasn't."
Goaltending leads the list of changes expected in what Feaster said will be a busy offseason.
"It's about tweaking," Feaster said. "I don't believe this group is in need of a complete overhaul. I think we have very good component parts in place. I think we have a good, young core in place, and I think we need to make some strategic moves here and there."
But Feaster and Tortorella hinted of trading a high-profile player or two and/or even a first-round pick to acquire what the Lightning needs to compete again for a Cup.
"We're going to have to wheel and deal, I think," Feaster said. "So that means some players that you're going to have to consider using in order to get what it is we need to address some of the deficiencies we have."
Those deficiencies are defense, goaltending and the third and fourth lines.
The Lightning made no final decision Monday on Grahame, who is an unrestricted free agent. But it seems unlikely he will return even as a backup.
"I told him that I'm sorry that things didn't work out the way any of us wanted to this year," Feaster said. "I was candid with him. The job he has done as a backup goaltender has been phenomenal here. At the same time, what we've gone through this year, it raises concerns and questions and issues about being able to carry the load as the No. 1."
Feaster said Grahame knows where the Lightning stands and that "no doors were shut" Monday.
"I'm just going to take some time to see what is the best situation for me as a player and for my career and go from there," Grahame said.
At times this season, Grahame was good, such as when he set a franchise mark with nine consecutive victories. Mostly, however, he was inconsistent, finishing 29-22-1 with a 3.06 goals-against average and .889 save percentage.
Meantime, it's possible backup Sean Burke won't return either. He has another year left on his contact, but the Lightning could trade him as it looks to bring in a new tandem, including a No. 1 goalie who might have to be acquired in a blockbuster trade.
"I know there are issues to address, and goaltending is one of them," Burke said. "It's too early to know what's available and what kind of avenue they're going to take."
Burke said he wished he would have played more than 35 games this season and was disappointed to see so much criticism of the goaltending, which came from fans, the media and even Tortorella, who had several postgame tirades.
"It kind of separates the team a bit," Burke said. "Torts is a very honest guy, and I respect him for his passion and all those other things. But it kind of separated the team a little bit at times and put the focus and negative energy in one direction. ... It took on a life of its own, really."
Tortorella admits he was tough on the goalies but said, "It isn't just the goalies. This isn't blaming the goalies. We struggled defensively. And that's something we need to address."
The Lightning wants to get quicker on defense, and the only ones safe to be back next season are Dan Boyle and Paul Ranger. The Lightning would like to bring back Pavel Kubina, but he is an unrestricted free agent.
"I would like to be back, for sure," Kubina said. "I've been here seven, eight years, and the core players have been together for a long time. This is a quality team."
Kubina said he isn't sure he will test the free-agent market.
"If it's the right deal, I'll do it because I'm happy here and I want to stay here," Kubina said.
While it likely will be a while before the Lightning can address its goaltending and defensive situation, its immediate concern is re-signing center Brad Richards, who can become a restricted free agent July 1.
"Getting him signed is the top priority," Feaster said. "We're not going to lose Brad Richards."
Feaster already has been in contact with Richards' agent, Pat Morris, though no numbers have been discussed. The starting point in negotiations could be upward of $6-million a season.
"I want to be here," Richards said. "I'd like a long-term deal. That's the only thing I've really thought about. I love this organization, and this would be ideal."
Ideal if the team can, as Tortorella says, retool into Cup contenders after an up-and-down season that fell well short of expectations.
"This is the first time coming back after a winning season, and it's just that much tougher," Boyle said. "It's a lesson learned. It's tough to be champions."
Getting back might prove just as tough.
"We all want to get back," forward Marty St. Louis said. "Everyone's goal is to win the Cup. We all want to get back to that. We know it's tough. Obviously, it showed this year. You need the bounces. You need the breaks. You just got to keep working at it."
That work, apparently, is already under way.