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Dudley: Anticipate a player acquisition

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 23, 2001

General manager Rick Dudley has put the players on notice: Shape up, or some could be shipped out.

In the wake of an 0-4 road trip that increased Tampa Bay's losing streak to six and gave the team 10 losses in its past 11 games, Dudley said Monday he is searching for a trade to help get his team moving.

"And we got lots of interest," Dudley said.

Free agents also are still available. When asked which route is more likely to be taken, Dudley wouldn't say.

But he did offer this nugget.

"I would anticipate an acquisition of some kind one way or another," he said.

If you're scoring at home, the trade deadline is 3 p.m. March 13.

We have heard rumblings like this before. Hints were dropped before the season that a scoring forward and/or veteran defenseman would be acquired, and it never happened. But now, with the Lightning spinning its wheels and 15 points out of a playoff spot he still thinks is attainable, Dudley is ready to move.

"We're not going to panic and say we have to change everything now," Dudley said. "When the right deal comes along or the right addition comes along, we are going to make it."

Such actions could necessitate loosening of the purse strings by owner Palace Sports & Entertainment. Tampa Bay has a league-low base payroll of $17-million.

Don't expect Palace Sports owner William Davidson to hand Dudley a blank check. As Lightning president Ron Campbell said, "Every transaction, every deal, every opportunity stands on its own and is analyzed by hockey operations to see if it makes sense."

Dudley wanted to make one thing perfectly clear: "We are not going to take young assets and say we need a 32-year-old guy who is just playing out the string. That makes no sense."

In other words, Tampa Bay's kids would not be the first to go -- if they go at all -- in a trade. That should make some of the established players a little nervous -- players such as Todd Warriner, Mike Johnson and Wayne Primeau, who have abundant talent but have not produced.

Until a move is made, expect an even further influx of youth into a roster that already has three 20-year-olds and five others 23 and younger.

Dudley said players such as forwards Dmitry Afanasenkov, 21, and Martin Cibak, 20, and defenseman Kristian Kudroc, 19, could be brought up from the IHL's Detroit Vipers for a look. Defenseman Marek Posmyk, 22, is currently on one of those visits.

Dudley bristled at a suggestion this is a signal the organization has given up on the season.

"That is not what we're doing," he said. "We believe we can win more games if we allow our kids to mature and see how good they can be.

"Our philosophy is that it is a process. We're not just playing the young guys and seeing what they can do. We're hoping one of them catches on and becomes a bona fide NHL player. And then he helps you for a long time."

Dudley acknowledged the process has slowed this month. And he said he knows fans are "sick" of watching a losing team.

"I believe we can play pretty good hockey, and I realize we haven't lately and it's hard for people to swallow," he said. "When we walk into (the Ice Palace), we want people to get on their feet and say, "What a team we've got here.'

"We feel that's going to happen."

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