I wasn’t aware until recently about how bad things had gotten over on the Sun Sports message forum. It was the place for high quality Lightning discussion among a group of fans that had been together for quite a while.

Sun Sports was planning to upgrade the forum software and closed down the bulk of the forum.

For those displaced by SunSports not getting their crap together in a short timeframe (much like their lackluster telecasts and abysmal coverage of the Bolts in High Definition) let me encourage you to visit FanHome’s Lightning forum where some of the SunSports regulars are appearing.

So the Stars have tweaked, the Lightning have tweaked… Which group will burn brighter on ice? Versus night in Tampa Bay!

Nikita Alexeev has been traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for DefensivemanLeft Wing Karl Stewart and a sixth round pick. Details to follow as well as linkage.

UPDATE #1: Stewart is another younger player (23) with only 50+ NHL games to his credit. He has 5 points and 45 PIM this season in 37 games with the Blackhawks. He’s an enforcer for sure with some scoring knack from his junior days but not a huge offensive threat. He is not a huge guy (5′11″, 185 Lbs) but he is willing to drop them and I assume throw his weight around.

…Unlike Alexeev.

Credited as one of Rick Dudley’s “Soft Euro” draft picks, Nikita has never utilized his size (6′5″, 227 Lbs) to his advantage to drive to the net. I always figured that was the role the Lightning anticipated Alexeev to grow into — sort of a Fredrik Modin with more.

But it didn’t work out that way. Though Alexeev has registered a career high in goals and assists this season (10 / 11) he hasn’t used his size to his advantage and that has hurt the Lightning at times.

2ND UPDATE Jason Ward has been acquired from the Los Angeles Kings for a fifth round pick. He’s a former first round pick from the Montreal Canadiens. I’m actually at a loss to figure this one out. Ward’s a right wing and I am unfamiliar with his career. He’s not a goal scorer (28 points is his career high), he’s not an enforcer. Someone please do me a favor and enlighten me on this move — why Ward?

3RD UPDATE: I get the Alexeev deal. I initially wrote some shocked remarks about the trade (because I was misreading TSN.CA’s draft tracker) but I understand this move. Alexeev is a big price to pay but a I said above, he never lived up to expectations. Stewart comes in with more NHL experience than minor league tough guys like Mitch Fritz. He is the gritty winger that Jay was after. He is also able to be a part of the organization for a while if he earns his keep.

That’s the one thing in the O’Brien and Stewart deals that makes me very happy — both additions are not going for veteran grit, veteran costs and what not. They were long term acquisitions. They’re technically still kids. While you see other teams adding veterans in a traditional push — we’re adding young role players to round out the veterans we already have.

It’s almost as if Jay Feaster read me loud and clear.

4th UPDATE: TSN.ca’s player profile for Ward sheds more light on why Feaster would have picked him up:

Assets Works hard every shift and knows how to take care of his own end. Doesn’t mind playing a crash-and-bang style. Is a quality teammate.

Flaws Doesn’t own top-end skating ability, which hurts his level of production. Has had trouble finding his niche in the NHL. Is too inconsistent.

Career potential Checking line forward.

Rob Dimaio anyone?

OK, so I am not liveblogging like the immaculate James Mirtle or the perpetually superior Lyle Richardson, but I did have to tip my hat to both of my fellow bloggers.

If you don’t know Lyle by name, you know him by reputation (perhaps). Spector’s Hockey anyone? This is your absolute source on reported (verified) news on trades and rumors and I highly recommend any NHL fan who wants to monitor the comings and goings today to check in with Lyle.

As mentioned above, James will be liveblogging for the Globe and Mail and while we are at it — let me give public props to Paul Kukla (who I gave private grief earlier in my career) and Kukla’s Korner as another source for up-to-the-minute media news reports from around the league. Paul’s site is another must-have for general NHL fans.

EDIT: Let’s not forget TSN.CA’s Draft tracker for all of you who are not in Canada and want to follow the very very latest.

If anyone wants to voice their opinion on a league deal, please use comments on this thread…

DEADLINE HAS PASSED Still waiting to hear if the Lightning have pulled off any last minute moves. I will be content if they didn’t.

You gotta love the Instigator…

You got a hockey game one night, you have a Justin Timberlake concert the next and another hockey game the next evening. Getting an NHL arena ready for it’s various functions is no small order and takes lots of manpower as well as lots of dedication.

I could talk up how big a job an arena conversion crew has all day… I’ll let the Toronto Star’s video of the Air Canada center being converted tell you everything though.

Unless you are actually attending an aternoon hockey game — or a midday game that pops onto the schedule with thanks to one holiday or another — I believe the concept of these matinee hockey games reeks. They are beautiful for the fans who attend, methinks, especially on a Saturday afternoon during the season…

But a Five PM start time in Tampa on a Sunday? WHat gives? Trying to beat the Oscar rush?

André Roy reminded the Lightning faithful why he doesn’t get more minutes of ice time at the end of the Bruins debacle the other night… And his three-game suspension is more proof of it. Jay Feaster called up RW Kyle Wanvig (who was acquired earlier this season from Atlanta) to take ROy’s place ont eh roster.

Is this a game where the Bolts get there groove back or do they get put in their place by the hottest team in hockey?

I’ve been taking a sabatical from the computer the last few days — startin gyesterday — and I’ve just become aware of Jay Feaster’s latest move:

The Lightning acquired Shane O’Brien and a 2008 3rd round draft choice in exchange for their 2007 1st round pick and Gerald Coleman….

My very first reaction to this is: “Say What?!” simply because I do not know O’Brien.

But seeing he is a 23 year old with a +5 in 62 games at the NHL, he is obviously a long range acquisition as to a short term fix. I like that aspect of the trade. I already noted a few days ago that the Lightning need to not only strengthen themselves for a playoff run but put themselves in a position to deal with pending free agency from Lightning defensivemen. I believe this move accomplishes that…

But it is certain to disappoint some fans who would like a name brought in — someone who is a polished veteran — not a up-and-comer.

It’s go time in Atlanta… First place in the SE at stake for both clubs.

Taking a little time to read the latest at Spector’s Hockey, I was left laughing out loud over Bruce Garrioch’s latest rumor involving the Bolts:

- The Buffalo Sabres could finally be ready to move goalie Martin Biron, but there’s some concern over how much cap space they’ll have. Garrioch suggests they may be on the verge of moving him to the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Ruslan Fedotenko.

I said I was left laughing out loud over this. It wasn’t because of disrespecting Biron and what he is capable of… But I’m thinking of things from both team perspectives. if Ruslan Fedotenko was all it took to land Biron, it’d be a shock. Likewise, the Lightning going for Biron after paying a sum for Denis, having him outplayed by Johan Holmqvist as well as investing in Karri Ramo this off season just seems like a ruse. The Lightning’s concern right now is both at the forward position and at the blue line. Not in net. Yes, Denis isn’t all the hype he was made out to be by the team but he and Holmqvist have been a sight better than John Grahame and Sean Burke in the net last season.

Even in a more balanced deal, I don’t see this happening. The Sabres can get more for Biron and the Lightning aren’t in a position (financially) where they can pick up another goaltender in the higher end of the spectrum.

I made no hoopla about the site turning three years old a matter of days ago. I focused on waiting until February 21st to celebrate because I am upgrading my Extreme Tracking package which has been tracking site statistics since February 21st, 2004 and needed to be upgraded…

…Which also meant it needed to be reset.

So, to all the readers who have ventured to the site — my regulars as well as the lurkers out there — and with many thanks to the hockey blogosphere for putting up with my antics, I give a heart felt thanks for supporting Boltsmag for three years. I know I am not the most prolific blogger anymore but I’m still here and never would have imagined how big this site’s rep would have gotten.

Below you will find the final Extreme tracking data for Boltsmag… just a few stats regarding views and counts and the like… Mind you the table that will show up is warped a bit / will warp the layout of the site.

Technically the Lightning are the #3 seed in the East right now, and that hangs in the balance as they have the opportunity to claim a true point margin lead over the Atlanta Thrashers in the standings tonight when they face off in game 2 of a home and home series with the Panthers at the Forum.

Will this be a rivalry game, with vengeance in mind for the Lightning who played disappointingly against the Panthers the other night? Or will this be a schooling by the Lightning? Putting the Panthers firmly in their place as a bottom dweller of the NHL?

En fuego and now in the lead, chat away if you’re not at the game…

Site upkeep note —

I upgraded to Wordpress 2.1 last week or the week before and have discovered that the pages that were set up for the site (posters, the St. Pete Times forum listing, etc) were broken on the top menu. If anyone else discovers navigation problems on the site, please let me know.

Boltsmag’s reputation always surprises me…

Case in point, why didn’t anyone tip me off that Sports Illustrated’s online profile for the Lightning links directly to the blog?! Scroll down to “MORE LOCAL LIGHTNING NEWS” and lo and behold, Bolts Mag (who are they?) is listed.

Jay Feaster
General Manager
Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Club
401 Channelside Drive
Tampa, Florida 33602

2-19-07

Dear Mr. Feaster;

I’m writing to you today with concerns about both the current Tampa Bay Lightning season as well as the long term future of the Lightning franchise. While the Lightning are at a point where they are in contention for Lord Stanley’s Cup, there is a large cause for concern about the long term implications of focusing on immediate contention and not addressing an area that has been and will continue to be a tender area for the Lightning after the 2006-07 season concludes.

Mr Feaster… Jay… The Lightning have a number of defensive prospects with zero NHL experience. The Lightning have a defensive core that has been shaky this season (and last) as well as unrestricted free agents after the season. Rumors have been around since last fall that you were shopping for a defensiveman from another team and I am left trying to understand why.

Jay, you have stated in the past that you prefer “the kids” playing every day in Springfield instead of potentially riding the pine here in Tampa Bay so they get more playing time. I understand that, I agree with it to an extent as well. Yet in this situation the Lightning are currently in — where we have prospects that need to learn the NHL game and get acclimated to it, where the Lightning lack depth in experienced defensivemen and need to upgrade the staff, all while living life under the salary cap — giving prospects such as Matt Smaby, Mike Egener or Andy Rogers a promotion to Tampa is a long term move that lets the players learn the NHL game while not throwing them to the wolves (a la Paul Ranger in 2005-06 who did a better-than-expected job when punched into the lineup).

Giving a prospect a shot and not forcing them into the lineup full time is not detrimental. Though waiting and waiting and waiting for the perfect trade, possibly involving one of these players or another core player, is. Is Mike Egener the future replacement of Cory Sarich when he leaves the Lightning after this season? Is Andy Rogers able to take Nolan Pratt’s job immediately? Could Matt Smaby be a top four defensiveman? Now is a risky time to find out, but it’s a better time to do it than next season in training camp when the Bolts are trying to fill holes with players they haven’t seen perform at the NHL level before.

You may be skeptical when I bring up promoting prospects. You may say that the free agent market can fill voids better than promoting unproven prospects. Yet life under the salary cap is tight as you have learned. Not just tight but with Vinny Lecavalier’s contract year next year, with prospect Egener’s contract renewal coming up this offseason as well as Johan Holmqvist needing a long term deal, the Lightning are better off growing their own talent at current instead of picking NHL free agents.

Of course, these concerns do not address the lack of forward prospects in the Lightning system and I do believe the Bolts need to find a gritty winger (or a two way forward) to fill the void that has become glaringly apparent with the departure of Fredrik Modin. But at the same time — this cannot be an elder NHL veteran. For the longterm, not short term, the Lightning need to look for a player who can be a mainstay on the roster for a few years. Not a rent-a-forward for a cup run this year.

Time and again we see teams throw everything they have into making a Stanley Cup run, raiding their system of both prospects, players and draft picks for cogs that will only propel the franchise for a few months or less, who are older and more experienced but who aren’t long term fixes for problems.

In closing, Jay, don’t sell the franchise out long term for a Cup run. Don’t make your job harder in balancing the salary cap by going for more than the Lightning can afford (both immediately and long term). Plan for the future as well as the now. Take a chance with commodities the Lightning system has at your disposal instead of risking the long term with a quick fix. Yes the point of an NHL season is to win the Stanley Cup, but the point of a business is long term stability and viability. Even if your goals are short term, please keep a firm eye on the long term effects.

Sincerely,
John
Boltsmag.com

P.s. Go Bolts!

I know that Boltsmag regular and TB blogger Tiny commented the other day asking about Freddie Modin rumors that were making rounds.

Though a deal to re-acquire Modin would follow Feaster’s MO of keeping the locker room chemistry snazzy, Lyle over at Spectors reported (via the Columbus Dispatch) that Modin’s close to re-signing with the BJ’s. That being the case, don’t expect a sign-and-trade deal like in the NBA if things get done.

Here kitty kitty kitty….

WIth a win, the Lightning return to a farmiliar place — the top of the Southeast Division. That’s with a win…. 60 minutes of solid hockey and a team effort are all it takes to get there…

From Eric at the Tribune:

There are not too many of those type of players rumored to be on the market this year, though St. Louis defenseman Eric Brewer might be an impact player should the Blues fail to re-sign the pending unrestricted free agent. While bringing in a defenseman has been on Feaster’s radar for some time, he is also believed to possibly be looking at acquiring a gritty forward or somebody who could play alongside Brad Richards on the second line.

I’m at the point where I don’t think Feaster is going to pull off a deal that is worth it if he makes a deal at all. The Lightning want to win now, but the team needs a long term basis for contention. Bringing in a rent-a-D-man for defensive prospects doesn’t help the team long term . Those kids shoudl be getting a chance to play on the roster currently — even if it means time on the pine.

So I am officially not big on acquiring a Defensiveman.

A “Gritty forward” however… Someone who can play both ways and has a contract that lasts longer than a couple of months might be worth it.

Just as long as it doesn’t compromise the cap situation further or the long term contention of the Lightning.

There’s been talk, there’s been posturing, and there’s been more hype than it deserves but Peter Forsberg was finally traded tonight from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Nashville Predators for… for…

Just plain, flat out, too friggin’ much.

Yes, you want your team in the best position to make a run at Lord Stanley’s Cup, but you do not compromise the long term viability of the franchise by going for one player who’s status in the league is always at question due to injuries, homesickness and the like.

I like Peter Forsberg, don’t get me wrong, but in the new NHL — Peter isn’t worth this much of an investment.

Alex and Vinny and Marty, oh my!

Alex and Vinny and Marty, oh my!

Game night at Times Palace and as Ski (he of Best Bucs Blog fame) so eloquently stated, it truly is go time in the southeast.

The one lick of credibility the division has lacked since it’s inception has been bonafide playoff contention by a number of teams at one point. Right now 3 are in the hunt and all are grouped near the top of the division. Probably not a first but it’s certainly an unexpected bonus for Bolts fan…

Scoreboard watching in February.

And while we’ll be paying close attention to things on ice with the Thrashers, Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes, what we really have to look at is what Don Waddle, Jay Feaster and Jim Rutherford do to put their teams over the top… Waddle specifically is in a bind with the last two Stanley Cup champions on his teams heels riow.

Of course, this rambles past the main draw for tonights game, and I will leave you with exactly what I started this post with….

Alex and Vinny and Marty, oh my!

Alex and Vinny and Marty, oh my!

Thanks to Oiler at the Sportsfrog for bringing the Bolts recent run to my attention. The Bolts have won 13 of their past 16 games, and the only hotter team in the NHL are the Penguins (11-0-2). During this stretch the Bolts have moved past Stanley Cup Champion Carolina, and are only three points behind Atlanta for the division lead.

During their run, the Bolts have been led by Lecavalier, who also leads the NHL in goals scored (37). Not a whole lot of Bolts games are broadcast up here in Northern Virginia so I can’t tell what Vinny is doing different but it’s nice to see him live up to the high expectations that were placed on him when he was drafted. I’ve always believed Vinny to be the most talented scorer on the Bolts (even more so than St Louis) because of his unique blend of size, speed and puck handling.

The only other player I’ve watched in person who reminds me of Vinny is Alexander Ovechkin, who is the second leading goal scorer in the NHL (34) and draws little number eight people on his sticks. Which conveniently allows me to mention that Ovechkin and the Caps are coming to Tampa tonight.

Starting tonight the Bolts begin a four game stretch against division rivals, which ends in a week against division leading Atlanta. If the Bolts continue playing lights out they can take the division lead from Atlanta, and move up from the #6 seed in the East to the #3 seed. Which means it’s go time for the Bolts.

Lightning vs. Coyotes is about to get underway from Times Palace and I just keep shaking my head at SunSPorts focus in the pre-game show…

I know Wayne Gretzky is one of the greatest players of all time but what about the current teams playing? Where they are in the standings? Etc?

Hockey seems too lost in nostalgia and tradition to reach the masses…

Give it up for Boltsmag regular Marsha Bryant as she graces The Hockey News online with her piece, “HOW THE NEW NHL LOOKS TO A SOCCER MOM (AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE)”