Lightning keeps Holmqvist in the fold

The Swede emerged as the No. 1 goalie but will be only one option for next season.

By EDUARDO A. ENCINA
Published May 20, 2007

TAMPA - The Lightning signed Johan Holmqvist to a one-year, $1-million contract Saturday, but not included in the deal is the No. 1 goaltender job heading into next season.

Holmqvist, signed last offseason from Sweden to be the Lightning's backup, unseated starter Marc Denis, winning 27 games during his first full NHL season.

But the Lightning, eliminated in the first round of the playoffs despite 100-point seasons from forwards Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis, wants to see more consistency out of Holmqvist before naming him the starter or considering him a piece of the long-term future.

"Clearly, there were times during the season when Johan showed signs of being a legitimate No. 1 goaltender," general manager Jay Feaster said.

"But the mere fact that he ended up the season as the starter doesn't make you a bona fide No. 1 goaltender in this league. Twenty-seven wins is a great foundation to lay. He still has steps to make and things to prove to establish himself as a No. 1 goaltender."

Holmqvist, who turns 29 on Thursday and had played only four NHL games entering the season, displayed flashes of brilliance and was the more consistent of the two goaltenders, going 27-15-3 with a 2.85 goals-against average.

Coach John Tortorella said he was impressed with his work ethic and ability to put bad games behind him.

Still, he had a save percentage of .893 (the same as in the six-game loss to New Jersey in the playoffs), 37th among the 44 goaltenders the league lists, and needs to improve a positioning flaw that led to several short-side goals on his glove side.

"I think I have a lot to improve on," Holmqvist said from his home in Sweden. "I want to improve my overall game and be the best goaltender I can be. I matured a lot this year. Last year was a good start, but I want to improve. I know how the game works now, and I'm excited to get back at it."

Holmqvist, who made $600,000 last season and would have become an unrestricted free agent July 1, said the deal was "good for both parties."

As a team, the Lightning allowed 3.16 goals a game, 24th among 30. (None of the teams below Tampa Bay made the playoffs.) So it sees improving its goaltending as a priority.

The club could make a push to sign a veteran starter -- Phoenix's Curtis Joseph and Detroit's Dominik Hasek are options -- to allow 20-year-old prospect Karri Ramo another year of seasoning. Also an issue is what to do with Denis, who signed a three-year, $8.6-million contract after being acquired from Columbus last offseason.

"The bottom line is that we have two goaltenders under contract, and those two goaltenders won 44 goals and put up 93 points for us," Feaster said. "So that's not a bad starting point."

[Last modified May 20, 2007, 01:19:42]