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Center Tim Taylor is acquired from the Rangers, but two holes remain to be filled.
By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 1, 2001
What should we make of the Lightning's acquisition of Tim Taylor?
First, the basics.
The 32-year-old defensive center, traded Saturday from the Rangers for forwards Nils Ekman and Kyle Freadrich, will likely play on the third line, will kill penalties and give Tampa Bay something it ached for last season -- someone to win crucial faceoffs.
In fact, Taylor's 58.9 winning percentage the past two seasons is the NHL's fourth-best among players taking at least 1,500 draws.
There also is the benefit of having a veteran of 381 games working with a young team.
"The kids are maturing but they need to have teammates around them who have been through it," said Lightning coach John Tortorella, who coached Taylor as an assistant in New York in 1999-2000. "Tim Taylor has been through it."
"That's the one thing I look to bring is a fresh attitude, and the willingness to pay the price to win," the 6-foot-1, 185-pounder said. "Hopefully, I can establish that early on with the younger players."
But the move, Tampa Bay's fourth in 13 days (not counting six others involving draft picks), also makes clear the direction the team will take during the summer.
With the loss of Ekman, whose nine goals in 43 games set a full-season pace of 17, the Lightning desperately needs a 20-goal scorer. It also will continue searching for a defenseman.
Acquisitions could be made through trades or through free agency, which began at midnight.
"Heavens no," Dudley said when asked if he was done dealing. "We're still looking for two players."
What unrestricted free agents are worth a look?
The nicest fit would be Martin Lapointe. The 5-11, 200-pounder had 27 goals and 30 assists for the Red Wings last season. With 157 penalty minutes, he would be the nasty presence the Lightning needs.
But at 27 years old, he is a prize, and a bidding war could push his price to $4-million a season, a little steep for Tampa Bay.
A more reasonable target could be Mike Sillinger. The 30-year-old forward played for the Panthers and Senators last season, and had 23 goals for Tampa Bay and Florida in 1999-2000. His 59.4 winning percentage on faceoffs the past two seasons is second in the league.
Yanic Perreault, 30, was No. 1 on faceoffs, winning 62.2 percent. He was the Maple Leafs' third-leading scorer last season with 52 points and 24 goals.
On defense, Bob Boughner, 30, is big (6-foot, 203) and tough (147 penalty minutes). Former Lightning player Grant Ledyard, 39, also is available.
"We feel the guy on defense has to be a real veteran to help steady things back there," Dudley said. "Up front it's more wide open. It doesn't have to be such a veteran if we can find a guy who can play on the top two lines."
That will not be Taylor's function, though he had 20 goals for the Bruins in 1997-98.
Taylor missed 44 games last season because of an abdominal tear that required surgery. He played golf Saturday, and said he has skated twice without pain.
"I look forward to it," Taylor said of playing in Tampa. "I think they are making strides in the right direction. This is a fresh start and I look forward to showing the young players what it takes to win."
Dudley has been proactive. He traded for 29-year-old defensive center Juha Ylonen on June 18; 21-year-old defenseman Mathieu Biron on June 22; and 25-year-old defenseman Nolan Pratt on June 24.
He has given up 26-year-old forward Todd Warriner, 25-year-old forward Alexander Kharitonov and 28-year-old defenseman Adrian Aucoin.
"We've given up some guys who have a chance to be players, but they're not core players," Dudley said. "With the depth we have, we feel they are players we can replace. It also means we're at a point in our evolution where we might actually make some noise.
"We weren't willing to do this before because we didn't think it would make that much of a difference. ... We have a chance to be very competitive."