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It's time for Vinny to be the man
© St. Petersburg Times, The escape route has been blocked. The tunnels have been filled. The letters of transit have been canceled. One question remains: Now that Vinny Lecavalier isn't going anywhere, where does he go from here? It has been a messy time in the career of Lecavalier, Jedi apprentice. The Lightning hasn't made him happy, and with four goals, he hasn't thrilled his team either. He asked for a trade; he didn't get it. His name has been in the headlines, rumored for this destination or that one. Whether Lecavalier is victim or villain, disappointed or disappointing, mishandled or misguided, has been open for debate. Still, there is a Lightning bolt across Lecavalier's chest. How happy he is that it is there is anybody's guess. So what happens now? Do Lecavalier and coach John Tortorella bury the hatchet, and if so, do they bury it in each other? Does Lecavalier look at this chapter as a shortcoming of his team or himself? Does he trust a system tomorrow when he didn't trust it yesterday? For Lecavalier, for the Lightning, this is all that's left that matters from his recent trade request: Can the team and its star get back to normal? And how long will it take? When negotiations become as public as these have been, there is residue. It can take time for wounds to heal, time for confidence to be restored. If they do not heal, then all the Lightning did by hanging on to Lecavalier was delay the inevitable. If they do not heal, we'll be talking about trade rumors again next year, and the next, and so on. Like most people, I was relieved when the Lightning and Lecavalier survived the weekend. Once he realizes the proper ingredients, the kid's going to be a great player. If the team had traded him, it was going to spend the next decade explaining why. That said, it is time Lecavalier learned a lesson about sports. Sometimes, the coach who is kicking your butt is a better friend than the one who is patting your back. It's human nature to side with the player over the coach in this kind of clash. His name isn't as big, and his future isn't as bright as Lecavalier's. People called Vinny the next Michael Jordan, but no one ever called Tortorella the next Phil Jackson. That doesn't make Tortorella wrong, however, when he suggests that Lecavalier has to do more to become the player he can be. Look at it like this. The easiest thing in the world for Tortorella, for any coach, is to buddy up to his best player, throw his arm around his shoulder and save his admonitions for the borderline players. Why hasn't Tortorella done that? Because he believes, honestly believes, this will make Lecavalier a better player. When Lecavalier believes it too, the Lightning will be on its way. But will he? Or will the things that drove Lecavalier to tell his agent to ask for a trade continue to gnaw at him? We'll see. "I believe it will all work out," said Rick Dudley, general manager of the team. "I find it hard to believe that John, who is a good coach and a good guy, and Vinny, who is a good kid and a good player, won't be able to understand each other. They'll figure it out. "How long will it take? Quite honestly, that worries me. You'd like to see it happen tomorrow." Dudley points out this is hardly the first time this has happened. Mike Modano was a tough sell for Ken Hitchcock. Steve Yzerman bristled at the handling of Scotty Bowman. Both grew to accept their roles and to lead their teams. It isn't easy. Lecavalier is 21, roughly the age of Josh Hamilton and Rex Grossman and Britney Spears, for goodness' sake. He has been a star all his life, unbridled, above reproach. Suddenly, he is just another player on just another team. His confidence shaken, his touch absent, his freedom harnessed. Surely, it must be the coach. Surely, it must be the system. "We all want the same thing," Dudley said. "We all want Vinny to be a success. Sometimes, the easiest answer is to leave. He's a smart player. He's not selfish. "I think Vinny will grow to like the light he's been put under. I think he can be one of the best two-way players in the game. He can be brilliant offensively and very, very good defensively." Perhaps it starts as simply as two men in a room, talking about hockey, talking about heroes, talking about goals. Who knows? Perhaps there is a compromise to be reached regarding the creativity with which Lecavalier plays. Heaven knows, no one is scoring for the Lightning these days. Or perhaps it starts with one man looking into a mirror and realizing he has not yet arrived. There is a reason Lecavalier wasn't invited to try out for the Canadian hockey team. As far as stars go, he has yet to crack the constellation. If Lecavalier is really upset about losing his captaincy, he needs to lead this team. If he really wants to lead, he needs to buy into it. If he really buys into it, his numbers will improve and the victories will come. Do that, and this team can still be his. Do that, and this town can be, too. Honestly, Vinny, would you trade that for anything?
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