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Odds & News | Webmaster ( Fri 22nd, January 2010 )

Tampa Bay Lightning deny report that New York Rangers contacted team about acquiring Vinny Lecavalier.

Vinny Lecavalier trade reports seemingly never finish, and the latest one included the Rangers, whom the Lightning play tonight in Madison Square Garden.

The Ottawa Sun reported on Sunday that Rangers GM Glen Sather contacted GM Brian Lawton of Tampa Bay at an attempt to spark a deal for Lecavalier.

This report, per Lawton, is "totally false". Lawton said on Monday that he has not even talked to Sather recently.

Lawton said, "He has not contacted me to ask about that. That is enormously false."

On Monday before the game Lawton said that he had seen a few positives in his team, but after losing 2 straight to Florida and falling to 13th out of the 15 team Eastern Conference. It is "getting to chew time", and how players respond to the next stretch of games will not only affect playoff hopes but personnel decisions for next year.

Lawton said, "The actuality is, as for the team management, these are serious times for decision making, and how we do this week, by many ways, it will decide whether people carry on. Obviously players recognize this, as that is what's at stake."

Big push: The talk about Lecavalier, Lawton said that he expects a big finish from his captain, as he has just 12 goals (however 6 points in his past 4 games, including a goal on Monday). "The information that matters is, he has not scored as much as he would like so far from a goal standpoint." Lawton added, "However I still believe it is going to happen for him. Still I think he gets 30 plus goals; that will take an immense push for him to get that."

Minor matters: Although Lawton admires previous Norfolk coach Darren Rumble, who the Lightning fired on Saturday, he said that the Admirals, who entered on Monday with the least points in the AHL, are capable of more. Lawton said that he is likes their play defensively, but he would like more offense.

Lawton said, "We would really like to make the playoffs, and I felt for that to happen, we needed to make a change now."

Rumble was replaced by Jim Johnson, the associate coach, and has refused to comment.

Lawton did recognize that Norfolk is slim depth wise. He said,"It is going to take time until we draft better and more consistently. In several ways, that is possibly a bit unfair for Darren."

Bolts and Nuts: Defenseman Matt Smaby was activated off of the injured reserve and returned to the lineup on Monday after missing 3 games. Defenseman Matt Walker was scratched to make room for Smaby. Goalie Mike Smith skated at Tampa on Monday and is expected to do so again with Lawton saying that he is feeling "great". Todd Fedoruk and David Hale were also scratched.

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