Do the Lightning need to trade Vincent Lecavalier?

Is it time for the Bolts to trade away the big salary of Vincent Lecavalier?

AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

 

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Vincent Lecavalier is the Captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning, more than that he is the face of that franchise. Really he has been the face of the Bolts since he was a teenager. However given his high cap number, and the amount of money left on his deal, is it time for the Lightning to try and move him?

Lecavalier’s salary cap number is a manageable 7.7 million dollars; however from now until the 2016 season he is owed 10 million dollars a year. For a franchise that is already on shaky financial ground, that may be too high a price to pay.

So far in the 2009-10 season he has just 9 goals, and 24 assists. Although tonight he did net three more assists in a win over the Atlanta Hawks tonight, the day after Christmas. For the year he is on pace to net 30 goals and have 53 assists. That simply is not good enough for a 10 million dollar a year guy.

The worse part of this is the Lightning are struggling as Lecavalier is finding his game. They lost eight of their first 9 games this December, and again are financially unstable, and have bigger needs at other positions. Before General Manager Brian Lawton is going to have to do something with his contract before he can complete his rebuilding effort.

The fact here is the Lightning have one of the best young goal scorers in the game today in Steven Stamkos, and they have the anchor of their defense for the next decade in Victor Hedman. If Lecavalier was playing the game to the size of his contract, the Bolts would be dangerous, since he is not they are hanging around being the 8th playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.

Lawton doesn’t just want to be an 8th seed; he doesn’t want to make the playoffs because of NHL parity. He wants to build his team into a legitimate contender in the style of the Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals, and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

While Lecavalier has shown flashes of brilliance so far this year, the Lightning need him to be the 50 goal scorer he once was. If they want to keep him he must produce, and if they want to deal him he is going to have to show other NHL teams that he can still be that guy.

Complicating any deal for Lecavalier is his no trade clause, and his love of Tampa life. He has donated so much money to local Tampa hospitals that a wing of one of those hospitals bears his name. Lawton would have to convince Lecavalier that a change of scenery would not only benefit the team, but his career as well.

In the end the Lightning would rather have the 10 million dollar a year Lecavalier that he was a few seasons ago, if he cannot be that they must get out from under his hefty contract.

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