'All the work has paid off'

Lightning GM Dudley adds three Russian wings to a new goalie and hulking defenseman.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 25, 2000

CALGARY -- After the first day of the draft was over, after Rick Dudley tinkered with the Lightning's future and began to overhaul its present, the general manager declared victory.

[AP photo] Nikita Alexeev puts on his cap after being picked 8th in the first round of the NHL Draft in Calgary on Saturday.

"We're elated," he said. "We're ebullient. All the work has paid off."

Tampa Bay took three Russians -- right wings Nikita Alexeev and Ruslan Zainullin and left wing Alexander Kharitonov -- Saturday at the Canadian Airlines Saddledome.

But the real buzz surrounded Dudley's trade of the No. 5 pick to the Islanders for goaltender Kevin Weekes.

There were other elements to the deal. Tampa Bay got 19-year-old, 6-foot-6, 240-pound defenseman Kristian Kudroc and a second-round pick in the 2001 draft. New York got fourth- and seventh-round picks in this year's draft.

But the acquisition of Weekes is what changes the course the Lightning will take over the summer.

Dudley said any plan to acquire Pittsburgh's Ron Tugnutt through free agency is dead. There is no plan to trade Weekes or Dan Cloutier. And all indications are the team will try to acquire a scoring forward through free agency or trade.

In the we-have-no-business-even-speculating category is Bruins left wing Sergei Samsonov.

The 22-year-old was Boston's third-leading scorer last season with 19 goals and 26 assists, does not get along with Bruins coach Pat Burns and makes a reasonable $775,000. He is a restricted free agent and played for the IHL's Detroit Vipers in 1996-97 when Dudley was general manager and Lightning coach Steve Ludzik was behind the bench.

"I'm not going to comment on another team's player," Dudley said. "I coached him, and as a person, I think he's a great kid."

The Lightning thinks the same of Weekes, 25, who played for the Vipers under Ludzik in 1998-99. Weekes, who couldn't be reached for comment, was 16-27-8 last season in 56 games with the Canucks and the Islanders with a .901 save percentage.

"He's the hardest worker I've ever seen," Ludzik said. "He takes it as a sin to let a goal in during practice. I thought it was a great move by Duds."

Not that there aren't questions. The Lightning is Weekes' fourth NHL team since 1997. The journeyman aspect doesn't bother Dudley or Lightning goaltending consultant Jeff Reese. Nor is there worry Weekes and Cloutier have failed to show consistent No. 1 stuff.

"One thing about goaltending," Dudley said, "you can't say what you've got at 22 or 23 is the same as it will be at 25, 26 or 27. Weekes made a tremendous transition last year. In the last 20 games he started to show the kind of goaltending a lot of people thought he could. Athletically, he's a very talented guy, and he's starting to put it all together in terms of knowing the position."

"He's a goaltender who is at the time of his career who is ready to take off," Reese said. "We've gotten better immediately, and we now have two goaltenders who are going to push each other."

Count that as another change. It was thought the Lightning wanted Tugnutt to mentor Cloutier, 24, who alternated between brilliant and frustrating last season. Now, he will have to fight for the No. 1 job as he and Weekes enter camp even.

"We hope he takes it like a challenge," Reese said.

"I still want to be the No. 1 goaltender," Cloutier said from Guelph, Ontario. "That's the way I look at it no matter who they would have gotten. It's part of the game. I'm not disappointed or anything. The way I look at it is, last year I played a lot of games and I improved. I can bring it along this year and show my stuff. That's all I can do."

Dudley said money had nothing to do with the trade, but Weekes will make about $775,000 next season. Tugnutt, 32, would have cost at least $2-million.

The extra cash will come in handy as the team looks for a forward. And the addition of Kudroc, a first-round selection by the Islanders last year, gives Tampa Bay someone who eventually could wield a hammer in front of the net.

In addition to his great size, Kudroc earned praise from Dudley for having a "nasty nature" on the ice.

His presence also continues to feed Tampa Bay's bulging stock of defensemen, which could be tapped in a trade package.

Dudley wouldn't commit to a plan. But when Tom Wilson, president of Palace Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Lightning, was asked to quantify the chance Dudley was done dealing, he said, "Zero."

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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