Lightning general manager Rick Dudley said the two-year, $2.7-million contract goaltender Kevin Weekes signed Wednesday "was more probably than we wanted to pay."

But Dudley said that proves how much the team wants Weekes to tandem with Nikolai Khabibulin.

"That's one of the most important signings we will have this summer," Dudley said. "Now we have as good a tandem as there is in the NHL."

Weekes, who will make $1.25-million next season and $1.45-million in 2002-03, could not be reached for comment. But his agent, Paul Theofanous, said, "We worked out a deal that is good for both sides."

Weekes got a significant raise from the $770,000 he made last season, when he was 20-33-3 with four shutouts, a 3.14 goals-against average and an .898 save percentage.

Though Weekes, 26, had some spectacular stretches, the season was not without controversy.

Weekes was upset when Tampa Bay traded for the rights to Khabibulin after Dudley had given Weekes 20 games to prove he was the goaltender of the future.

Dudley said those issues did not enter the negotiations. His rough blueprint has Khabibulin playing 50 games and Weekes 32, though he has said Weekes could play more if he plays well.

"They had certain wants and desires and there were certain places we could go to accommodate both satisfactorily," Dudley said. "We felt it was very important to get this done. This is an important part of what we want to do."

Including Khabibulin's $3.5-million salary, the Lightning has $4.7-million tied up in goaltending next season, not including performance incentives. That is 19.6 percent of the team's expected base payroll of about $24-million.

Dudley said it is money well spent.

"With those two guys here for more than a year," he said, "we're in pretty good shape."

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