User account number (aid): 3
Posted by MadRussky on 2008-07-09 11:51:56
Lightning help Sharks win big in free agency
By Eric McErlain - SportingNews
Jul 8, 9:26 pm EDT
Buzz Up Print
It would have been easy to conclude that the Tampa Bay Lightning were the big winners in the first few hours of NHL free agency.
On July 1 the Lightning signed wingers Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts away from the defending Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins, lured winger Radim Vrbata away from the Phoenix Coyotes and added goalie Olaf Kolzig from the Washington Capitals.
Toss in former Penguins forward Adam Hall, and Tampa Bay all of a sudden had added $10.25 million in salary. This, on a team that was more than happy to part with Brad Richards at the trade deadline and say goodbye to the $23.4 million heâ€TMs due over the next three seasons.
That meant somebody had to go, and despite managementâ€TMs initial public claims to the contrary, defenseman Dan Boyle was the man Tampa Bay was shopping.
San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson needed to bolster his power play after losing free-agent defenseman Brian Campbell to the Chicago Blackhawks, and he was ready to play. Wilson was happy to ship young defenseman Matt Carle, top-prospect defenseman Ty Wishart, a first-round pick in 2009 and a fourth-round pick in 2010 to Tampa Bay to make it happen. Coming to San Jose with Boyle was his buddy, defenseman Brad Lukowich.
Why did the Lightning need to get rid of Boyle? Remember, their new ownership group pressed in the regular season to get him re-signed to a contract that will pay him almost $6.7 million per year over the next five seasons. Outside of the obvious need to clear cap room after their free-agent spending spree, thereâ€TMs indication in the numbers that the Lightning could get along fine without him.
Tampa Bay scored 12 fewer power-play goals last season than the season before. Most of that can be attributed to having 78 fewer extra-man opportunities. The power play, in fact, was deadlier when it had the chance, converting 19.3 percent of the time (fifth-best in the league), as opposed to 18.4 percent the season before.
Better still for the Lightning, they improved with Boyle out for 45 games with a slashed wrist that needed surgery.
Once they added Malone and Vrbata, plus reacquiring winger Vaclav Prospal, the Lightning are so loaded up front that it might not matter whoâ€TMs throwing the puck through the screens from the point.
Who will clear shooting lanes in front of presumptive starting goalie Mike Smith or Kolzig? Thatâ€TMs another question entirely. Get ready for plenty of 6-5 games in Tampa next season.
So whatâ€TMs San Jose getting in Boyle? Since the lockout and thanks to the unbalanced schedule, I got to see a lot of Boyle over the past three seasons. And outside of Scott Niedermayer or Nicklas Lidstrom, no defenseman could solve a teamâ€TMs power-play problems faster than Boyle. Plus, Boyle plays more than 27 minutes per game.
Unlike most power-play units that station two defensemen at the points, the Lightning used Boyle by himself in an umbrella formation. Stationed at the blue line one stride from the top of the slot, Boyle distributed the puck to the wings in a manner reminiscent of an NBA point guard.
Sure, there are plenty of other defensemen who could have racked up eye-popping numbers playing alongside Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. But make no mistake, Boyle was an integral part of that unit, and every bit as much a contributor as either of his more celebrated teammates.
Now in San Jose, Boyle gets to work with a corps of forwards arguably as talented and deep as the group he left in Tampa Bay. And he will share the load on the power play with future Hall of Famer Rob Blake, who signed a one-year deal with the Sharks just before the July 4 holiday.
Tampa Bayâ€TMs spending spree sprung the one player who could fill a gaping hole in San Jose. In the short term, the Sharks will come out on top.
Eric McErlain runs Off Wing Opinion, included in Forbesâ€TM Best of the Web in 2003. He is a regular contributor to Sporting News.
AOR
- MadRussky 2008-07-09 11:51:56 (87 views)
- Starburst 2008-07-09 13:13:53 (39 views)