From TSN:

The Edmonton Journal insists that the Lightning might like to move Marc Denis, who is losing his spot to Johan Holmqvist, but his contract (which still has two years and $5.8-million remaining) makes it unlikely. The paper names Vaclav Prospal, Ruslan Fedotenko and Cory Sarich as more likely cost-savings trade candidates. Lightning GM Jay Feaster has already made it known that the club’s payroll is too high to be playing .500 hockey, so either moves are made to cut those costs, or the Lightning need to have more wins.

Sarich and Fedotenko are both in their contract year and while Jay Feaster publicly stated he wants to keep Fedotenko, it’s understandable if Rusty moves on.

Vaclav Prospal has been nothing special in his second stint with the Bolts. In fact, this season’s 15 points in 26 games (3 g, 12 a, -9 +/-) puts him on a pace for 47 points for the season. The only good thing about that? I predicted he’d end up with 46 points in a charity contest on SunSportsTV’s message board before the season.

Money for charity while Vinny P. under-performs. Something for nothing, I guess.

People are noting that attendance is down across the league. The Lightning’s 58-game sellout streak at the St. Pete Times Forum is over.

Meanwhile, TV ratings are stagnant at best in both countries. David over at the Ice Block ponders what it will take to get the league’s attention they have a problem?

What will happen when Canadian attendance drops? The answer to that one is easy, of course: move the team to a “stronger, larger” US market.

This is where the bile directed towards Gary Bettman should be pointed in full. The paradox of selling out Canada for a game that has failed to catch on in the US is routine that seems accepted by Gary and his “friends” in control of the league. The league is quick to move into new markets but fails at marketing to the masses.