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Holdout likely to extend into season

Vinny Lecavalier's camp and the Lightning are still far apart in their contract negotiations.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 21, 2001

Neither Lightning president Ron Campbell nor Kent Hughes, the agent for holdout center Vinny Lecavalier, provided much hope Thursday that Tampa Bay's 21-year-old captain will be signed by the start of the season.

Asked if Lecavalier's contract situation would be resolved by the Lightning's Oct. 5 opener against the Islanders at the Ice Palace, Campbell said, "There is no indication at this time. We are preparing to start the season without Vinny."

Said Hughes: "There is certainly no way he'll be there for the start of the season if both sides don't want to work towards getting something done, and we're ready and willing to work to that end."

How hard the sides are working is open to debate. There is no indication either side has moved much off its opening offer, about $5.35-million for three years from Tampa Bay, two years, $6.3-million from Lecavalier's camp.

And with just 16 days until the season starts, the only public acknowledgment of give-and-take is that the sides are considering a face-to-face meeting.

"We had 15 free agents this summer, and ... we believe we were more than fair with every one. And we feel we're being the same with Vinny, and we hope he recognizes that," Campbell said. "We like Vinny a lot, and we want to get him into camp as soon as possible."

That said, Campbell also talked of the way players such as Dave Andreychuk, Vinny Prospal, Nikolai Khabibulin and Brad Richards have begun to reshape the Lightning.

"We think," he said, "we're a much improved team with or without Vinny."

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