Bolts Day 1 Free Agent Frenzy: Yzerman Performs Magic

Stevie mystifies Philly

The hockey Gods are shining down on Hockey Bay lately and that trend continued today as the NHL’s “Free Agent Frenzy” began. The chosen Lightning apostle, Steve Yzerman, blessed the Lightning faithful by making the team better while remaining fiscally responsible.

Tampa Bay fans were overjoyed to hear that diminutive forward Martin St. Louis will have the chance to finish his career with the Bolts. St. Louis signed a four year extension worth $22.5 million that will keep him in Hockey Bay until 2015. Number 26 appeared in all 82 games last season. His streak of 390 consecutive games is the fourth longest among active players.

I have written that I think the Bolts should trade Marty. I like him as a player and a leader, but the length of the contract concerns me. Marty will be here until he is 40 years old. For this to be a good signing, he needs to remain productive for all of that time. If the Bolts had traded him, they would have been able to get a couple of young, talented players that would be the future of the Lightning.

Beware Lightning fans! The Marty signing could come back to haunt Yzerman and the Bolts. If Marty were to decide to retire after next season or any of the five seasons that he is now contracted for, the Lightning will still be responsible for paying his salary. Once a player is 35 or older the player’s team must pay his salary and take the cap hit for the length of the contract. That means if Marty decides to hang ‘em up, the Lightning must pay out $5.5 million every year until 2015. The signing certainly shows that new GM Steve Yzerman wants to keep the core players together and believes the Bolts can win a cup in the next five years.

Steve Yzerman got his man in goal when he signed Dan Ellis to a two year contract worth $1.5 million per year. The Bolts save $500,000 by signing Ellis to take Antero Niittymaki’s roster spot. Ellis was teammates with Lightning goalie Mike Smith in the minors and with the Dallas Stars. They are friends and are excited to be paired together again. “We are very pleased to sign Dan today,” Yzerman said.  “We expect him to come in and compete for playing time with Mike Smith.  This is a great opportunity for Dan and we look forward to him making the most of it. From the entire Lightning organization, I’d like to welcome Dan to Tampa Bay.” Ellis voiced his approval on his Twitter page, “Very excited about signing in Tampa…looking fwd to playing with my ex-partner and great friend Smitty.” Ellis, 6′o” and 193 pounds, has played in 111 career NHL games with the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, posting a 50-42-8 record.  He has also registered a .912 save percentage with a 2.64 goals-against average with 10 shutouts.  Ellis spent the previous three seasons with the Predators.  He played in six Stanley Cup Playoff games with Nashville in 2008, posting a .938 save percentage and 2.52 goals-against average. The 30 year old netminder will push Smith to be better and the duo could provide the Bolts with solid goaltending for the next few years until Dustin Tokarski and Jaroslav Janus are ready. This is a good signing for Yzerman because he did not pay a huge price for what could be a number one goalie.

In other free agent news, the Lightning re-signed tough guy Mitch Fritz.  The 6’7”, 240 lbs. forward appeared in 73 games with the Norfolk Admirals last season, scoring two goals and six points with a team-leading 157 penalty minutes. Fritz is 30-years-old and a veteran of ten professional seasons. In 547 games, Fritz has scored 26 goals and 68 points with 1,616 penalty minutes. According to Lightning insider Jon Jordan, “Fritz was heavily praised by Lightning/Admirals players as a steadying presence in the Norfolk room.”

In what can only be considered  a Merlin type magic trick, Steve Yzerman made defenseman Andrej Meszaros disappear. He somehow brainwashed Flyers GM Paul Holmgren into taking on the Slovakian blue liner’s huge contract ($18.25 million over four years) and sending a 2012 second round pick to the Lightning in exchange. Meszaros was simply miserable with the Lightning. In two seasons with Tampa Bay he had eight goals and 33 points. He had an awful six goals and 17 points in 81 games last season. The Bolts saved $4 million by trading Meszaros and that money most certainly will be used to upgrade the Bolts back end.

As expected, goalie Antero Niittymaki bolted Tampa Bay and signed a two year, $4 million contract with the San Jose Sharks. The 30 year old Finnish goaltender posted a 21-18-5 record, .909 save percentage and 2.87 goals against average last season. He went a season-high eight consecutive games without a regulation loss.

Tampa Bay lost defenseman Kurtis Foster to the Edmonton Oilers where he signed a two-year deal at $1.8 million per year. Foster, a fan favorite, is a special team’s defenseman with a booming shot, but the Lightning had no choice but to let him go at that price.

The Bolts also lost forward Alex Tanguay. He is headed back to the Calgary Flames, signing a one-year contract. He had his best seasons with the Flames, but tallied just 37 points last year with the Lightning. Tanguay was lost last season and signing him was not an option for GM Steve Yzerman.

Stevie Y still has some work to do. He must sign at least one defenseman. The bigger names left after day one are Tomas Kaberle, former Bolt Pavel Kubina, Andy Sutton, Joe Corvo and Marc-Andre Bergeron. Stay tuned Boltheads.