DAILY RUMORS: Gagne To Lightning? Probably Not

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The Philadelphia Flyers currently sit nearly $2.5 million over the NHL’s salary cap ceiling of $59.4 million, fuelling expectations they’ll soon ship out winger Simon Gagne in a salary dumping trade.

Amongst the teams suggested as a potential destination are the Tampa Bay Lightning, as St. Petersburg Times hockey columnist Damian Cristodero suggested in a recent column.

Would it make sense for the Lightning to pursue Gagne?

Today I’ll leave that up to fellow Hockey Independent blogger and resident Lightning expert Jon Jordan to explain why it shouldn’t, courtesy of his recent Twitter posts (used with permission):

“My beef with potential Lightning interest in Gagne: Isn’t a VERY
injury-prone guy who costs $5M more a short-term fit for a Cup contender?

As much as you/we/they might like to think otherwise, the Lightning aren’t
near that status presently.

And acquiring Gagne, who surely would be a one-year only fit here, goes
against the “methodical” approach that’s been preached since day one.

Further, love how Philly’s now described as “desperate to create cap space”.
Maybe you shouldn’t have traded for Andrej f’ing Meszaros then?

Cause $4M til 2014 for an underachieving dman (and that’s as nice a
description as I can make) is just a FINE move for a cap-troubled squad!

Not that a healthy Gagne wouldn’t be aces alongside Lecavalier. Maybe it
does make sense. But picking him up WOULD indicate changed approach.

(Re: the possibility of Gagne being for more than just a year) It would
exist yes. But then someone else – Malone again? – has to become expendable.
Trying to create long-term flexibility here

(Re: Gagne a risk worth taking) Depending on return, maybe. Who knows what
Philly’s asking? Trade a 1st for him? Could be that. $5M even for a yr is a
risk. This team shouldn’t just be throwing around $5M. Sends the wrong
message after preaching “methodical”. If trade price is right, give it a
whirl. But by no means is this a go get this guy now situation, as some have
said.

(Re: Tampa being close to a Cup contender) Sorry but if he or anyone thinks
this team can compete for a Cup NOW, they’re nuts. Let’s try not finishing
bottom-5 first”.

My two cents: I agree with everything Jon said. If this team is supposed to be rebuilding, bringing in a 30-year-old scoring winger with a notable injury history for one season with a cap hit of $5.25 million just doesn’t fit into that game plan.

Besides, Gagne after a ten-year NHL career finally played in the Stanley Cup Final this past spring, and I daresay he won’t waive his “no-trade” clause for a rebuilding team like the Lightning but rather one that has a good shot at winning the Cup next year.

Lyle Richardson
SpectorsHockey.net
twitter.com/spectorshockey