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Tampa Bay weighs waiver draft options

By KEVIN KELLY

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 29, 2000

BRANDON -- Lightning officials have looked over the list of players available in today's waiver draft, but stopped short of divulging their plans.

"We've gone through it and we've highlighted the guys that we have some interest in," said Jay Feaster, assistant general manager. "The big issue is if there's somebody you are interested in and you take them, you pretty much have to keep them up (in the NHL)."

The waiver draft works like this: Each team can protect 18 skaters and two goalies.

Some, depending on age and experience (three years or less), are exempt from the draft. Teams choose among the list of unprotected players and if a team selects a player, it must expose a previously protected player from its list.

The draft ends when every team goes through a round without a selection. No team can lose more than two players, and no team may claim a player within its division in the first round.

This year, Tampa Bay left defenseman Jassen Cullimore and forward Dan Kesa unprotected and has the fourth pick if it chooses to use it.

"I don't see it being more than two (players) if we did anything," Feaster said. "I could also see it being a case where it might be nobody."

Last year, the Lightning picked up Ottawa center Viacheslav Butsayev and did not lose a player.

Butsayev did not fit in well with the Lightning (he had two fights in practice) and it wanted to send him to the minors, but he was claimed back by Ottawa in October.

WEEKES HOME SOON: Feaster and medical trainer Dave Boyer said goaltender Kevin Weekes will return by Sunday.

Weekes, acquired in a draft-day trade in June, has been out since Sept. 19 with a muscle strain in his lower back.

He flew to Los Angeles earlier this week to meet with doctor specializing in bio-mechanics.

Boyer said he talked to Weekes -- but not about the treatment.

"He was lost," Boyer said. "It was more important that he get to his appointment."

While in Los Angeles, Weekes has been treated daily from 6-9 a.m., noon-1:30 p.m. and 7-9 p.m.

"I'm not going to bother (Kevin) because in my mind and in my heart, I think he's doing well right now," Boyer said. "I want him to have 100 percent focus on what's going on. If there was any problem, the doctor would let me know. The doctor and I, we've created a pretty good relationship."

LINGERING SYMPTOMS: Defenseman Bryan Muir was evaluated by team doctors Wednesday after complaining of symptoms suggestive of a concussion and is expected to miss practice today.

Muir was checked by Florida defenseman Peter Worrell during Tuesday's preseason game and came to the bench complaining of a headache and dizziness.

"The symptoms went away," Boyer said. "He finished the game. He comes in (Wednesday) and says that he's not feeling as good as he thinks he should be. So we evaluated him by the NHL concussion standards."

Coach Steve Ludzik added: "He got his bell rung. He showed a lot of guts coming back and playing."

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