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TAMPA -- The Lightning finally acquired a bona fide No. 1 goalie.
On Friday, the Lightning acquired Marc Denis from Columbus. But the price was high. The Lightning sent popular forward Fredrik Modin and goalie Fredrik Norrena to the Blue Jackets.
Denis, 28, has spent the past seven years in the NHL, six with Columbus, and has posted a 94-156-28 record with a 2.97 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. Denis was 17-6-1 in 2005-06 and 77-34-12 in his Blue Jackets career when the team scored three goals ormore.
"Marc Denis is a solid, steady, durable, proven No. 1 goaltender in the NHL,'' Lightning general manager Jay Feaster said.
"He is a workhorse and a fierce competitor with one of the best glove hands in the league. He is also a young man who has not yet reached the prime of his career. We have scouted Marc extensively and had actually targeted him as early as the trade deadline this past season. Our belief in his skills and his ability to fit in well within our locker room has never wavered. We are confident Marc will bring us the type of reliable and consistent goaltending we need in order to return our franchise to the type of success we have enjoyed in the past.''
Denis said he had mixed emotions about the trade. He said he hated to leave Columbus but looked forward to the challenge of playing for a Stanley Cup contender.
"Obviously, as an athlete, you don't get your say to which team you go to if you are traded,'' Denis said. "But if I did have my choice, I probably would've ended up in Tampa anyway.''
Sad news for Lightning fans is parting with Modin, who has spent the past six season with the Lightning. Last season he had 31 goals with 23 assists in 77 games.
"The most difficult part of this deal is having to include Fredrik Modin, a player who helped this franchise establish credibility and then helped us become Stanley Cup Champions,'' Feaster said.
"As I have said repeatedly, in the "perfect world" we would have kept our 2004 championship team together for a long time. However, in the new world of the salary cap, it simply is not possible. As thrilled as we are to be adding Marc Denis to our organization it is very tough to part with "Big Mo'.''
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