Denis placed on waivers

The Lightning placed goaltender Marc Denis on waivers this morning, hours after the holiday roster freeze ended.

If Denis clears waivers after a 24-hour period, he will be re-assigned to AHL Norfolk, which will give him the opportunity to play regularly and possibly prompt a new start with another team.

It became likely that the Lightning would make the move last week when it promoted 21-year-old goaltender Karri Ramo and made him its starter. Denis was a healthy scratch in all four games since Ramo's arrival.

If a team claims him on waivers, it would be responsible for the remainder of the $2.8 million salary this year and the entirety of next season's salary, which is also around $2.8 million.

After Denis clears waivers, the Lightning can place Denis on re-entry waivers, at which time an acquiring team would be responsible for just half of his remaining 2007-08 salary and half of next season's salary.

Lightning general manager Jay Feaster, who had exhausted all trade possibilities with no success, was not made available for comment after Friday's practice.

When Feaster brought Denis before the 2006-07 season, acquiring him in a offseason trade with Columbus, the Lightning believed it acquired the goaltending it had been missing since losing Nikolai Khabibulin in free-agency. But Denis was inconsistent last year and eventually lost the starting job to Johan Holmqvist, bottoming out when Denis didn't make the Lightning's first-round playoff active roster.

Denis hoped this year would be different, but Holmqvist won the starting job. And when both goalies struggled, the team promoted Ramo, and at that point something had to budge.

Lightning coach John Tortorella applauded Denis for the way he handled a difficult situation.

"He’s not happy," Tortorella said. "He’s not happy with me. He’s not happy with a number of different things. But he’s never brought that to the workplace and let that affect other people. That’s the most important thing."

Comments

[bear]

Denis story link
http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=226003&hubname=

[boltz25]

I am extremely disappointed....not in this move, but in the fact that it is the only move after last night's debacle. I think last night's game has finally done it for me, and I will not be watching much more. Living in Ft. Lauderdale, it really sucks to have to look up at the Panthers. Maybe I will go to the Bank Atlantic center with my Vinny jersey and a bag over my head on 1/22, when they are next here.

Anyway, if the past two weeks weren't enough for Feaster to make a move, then last night should have been. If he is not will to make a move, the perhaps ownership (whatever flavor of the week it is right now) should move Feaster and Torts. It is clear that the boys have tuned Torts out, and he has lost control/respect in the locker room. For the love of god, please trade Brad Richards!!!!!

[Derek H]

I agree boltz25.

This is a flaming hulk of a hockey team. It is sad to see...

How the mighty are fallen...

I see the dark days of rebuilding ahead.

[74]

How do you have any faith in Feaster trading Richards? When has he gotten any value from a draft pick or trade? He's still living in '04, see Lukowich.

[boltz25]

I have little faith in Feaster trading Richards, but I would like to see him try a little harder. I think you will start to see the desperation of other contending teams possibly push them to take on a salary as large (and undeserved) as Richards'. I would even be willing to take draft picks in this year's apparently deep draft.

[Buona sera]

Was Denis given a real chance THIS season ??? No...Not starting an home game...sent in the net on the road when the game was out of hand...And despite a very good game in Detroit and a superb in Montreal (Dec 11), a rare win on the road for this team, NO chance to start another one, especially at home....
Coach wanted Ramo...and moved in order to...Not the first move that makes his GM bad looking ...

[Wade]

I agree Buona Denis was not given any chance and when he was, he was great like in the montreal game and then we come back home to face calgary and torts starts Holmqvist... it's rediculious the way Marc has been traeted this season....i think that torts is trying to learn everything the hard way by starting holmer....Why use Brad Richards for trade bait when you have Guys like Prospal and Gratton who catch GM's eyes....Hell, through a 1st round pick out their but don't trade the people that make your team a potential dominant team.

[Casper]

G.M.F. Oh happy day! Of course he'll clear the wire going down, but call him back pronto, so someone claims him. I know, I know. We'd be on the hook for some of the $$$ but the key aspect is to be rid of the man totally. Not wanting Boutin, Munce, etc, to take anything from this guy at Norfolk.
He should after all, get a shot somewhere, with someone that plays D (watch him shine). In the new NBA on Ice, I'm surprised more goalies haven't been shelved by rushing bodies crashing the crease. That's why I kept fingers crossed that we WOULDN'T pick up a little bug like Toskala, a while back. For us, he'd be dead by now....

See? It's not all bad in Lightningland. Denis is a gone mother fletcher and Coach is making a concerted effort to balance the minutes. It's a start, and I'm a big believer in starts. The other bees in the bonnet will get addressed. Such as, Ramo's gifts are not related to Jeff Reese. Bye-bye Jeff, before he can spurl the young Finn. And what's Darren Rumble doing for the advanced development of Ramo's next protectors (Smaby, et al)? Not mentioning Richie and all that other hand wringing jazz right now.

It's a start and I'm OK with that.

[ajax]

Any move is a good move at this point. Getting rid of 1/2 of his salary is better than paying all of it. Simple business 101 decision. Now management has about 2-3 more tough calls that I hope they make. This IS a step, even if small, in the right direction. The sun peaked out in Tampa Bay today. Let's hope for more moves. Desperate people do desperate things, and I believe or at least hope Jay is a little bit desperate these days.

[Natalie]

Wade and Buona, I can not agree with you more!

[Hate the Bandwagoners]

All you need to know about the bulk of the Lightning fanbase is how they are talking about the horrors of rebuilding and how they are abandoning the team. REAL Lightning fans have seen much, much worse (see 1997-2002). Sure the losing sucks now, but the REAL fans have been there before and are willing to be patient and stick with the team regardless.

The bandwagon trash that suddenly gave a damn about the team during the Cup run is getting their first taste of extended losing and boy do they cut and run quickly (but with the Bucs winning, it's much easier for them to just dust off the pewter gear and forget we have a hockey club here).

Go wear your paper bags and stay the hell out of the Forum.

[amen]

Right on HTB.....if you can't remember watching Gerard Gallant stink it up and down the ice with Burr, Selivanov, over the hill Richer, Creighton...blah blah...then you don't really remember what it's like to suck here. Go root for Crosby and the other wannabe's and stay out of the Forum while us dedicated fans stick it out yet again...

[Chris]

They didnt even give him a fair chance. Torts needs to either change his system or we need to get a goalie that fits ours. Feaster is an idiot!

[boltcc]

Well good luck to Denis, I bet he's glad to be out of here too..BUT..still doesnt solve the scoring problems or the fact that the team is PLAYING FLAT!!!

[Badbud]

No One is going to pick him up.

There will be No Major moves till after the sale is done one way or the other.

OK Hockey, WILL NOT BUY this team WITHOUT THE BIG 3.

This deal was Poorly handel, by Torts.

It won't be lomg now that he willl drink form the same pool

[Ilya Bryzgalov]

I wish I had been waived now instead of a few weeks ago. Would have loved to be in Tampa :(

[leo]

If you mean Jay gave too much money to 4 guys only and NOT ONE of them a goalie, then yes Chris, I agree.
As for Denis not getting his chance, that's a load of bull. This is the NHL, not a kindergarten. Ain't no one here to TRY or to GET A CHANCE, these guys are here to DO. You ain't DOING, you're out, plain and simple. Denis "had his chance" last year. He had it; he blew it; that's it. Holmer took over; he blew it too; now it's Ramo. Fair or unfair is NOT an issue. It's hockey. I agree that our goalies are thrust into a disagreeable situation but so was Luongo. His team sucked yet there was NO doubt that he was great. I'm not comparing; I'm just saying.
Now it's Ramo.
Place your bets.
Peace.

[Parks]

Last night I caught the games re-cap and all I kept hearing was not only what a disappointment the eastern conference was all together, but that we were one of the most disappointing teams in it. That's a hard one to swallow, but (in the least pessimistic tone possible)it's a reality. We are a disappointment not because we are a bad team, but because we have some of the best players in the league and for multiple reasons we can't seem to get the W's. This lingering stench of denial needs to cease to exist! So we have problems that need to be fixed...so fix them! To me that is not a sign of weakness, or a sign of giving up.

I see that there are mixed reviews about Denis on waivers and that's understandable. But what we can all agree on is that changes need to be made. On top of who's at net, what about our defense? Sheesh! What options do we have? Bring up Leach, Smaby (and get Janik on waivers!!!!), Mihalik? No that wouldnt be fixing our issue of lack of experience on D, but maybe if we threw in some guys that would fight just to step on the St. Pete Forum's ice we could see some hard-hitting D!!

[Amazed]

You know its simply amazing how some fans are so short sided. Ok lets review, Denis play an awful lot last year with the same results wildy inconsisent. Trade Richards, you have to be out of your mind. He is one of the 5 best 2 way centers in the league. This team only goes as far as the Big 3 take them. What we really need is a vet on the back line. We need something to bridge the gap until Boyle gets back. This team is very similar to the way it looked in the cup run. Once Sidor came aboard this team took off. The fans were screaming for Graham during that year as well. We saw how that worked out for us. We all have to remember that we start four kids under 25 on the back line. Feaster has a little heat on him I will agree with that statement. His cost cutting moves for Hvlac and Oulett do not look like his best moves. Grats looks like a positive move. We have no balance after the 2 big lines. Young kids and unbalanced scoring leads to what we have now. It calls for shrewd moves by the GM and patience that the coach will turn it around.

[Leanmean43]

Good point by HTB. You bandwagon fans are the reason the rest of the hockey world thinks Florida doesn't deserve a team. You think not going to games is gonna make Feaster make a move... wrong. If people quit going to games that increases the likihood that they're going to just slash payroll. Or worse it could cause the potential new owner to back out when he sees how fickle the fan base is, or it could cause the team to move all together. I guarantee you, as soon as this team goes back to 10,000 fans a night this team will move. If you want Vinny to resign here after next year I suggest you go to games and not embarrass the team by allowing other teams fans to take over the building. Oh yeah one more thing, the Bolts have a better chance of getting out of the first round than the Bucs... Bandwagoners!

[Herb]

Denis is a horrible goaltender. How anyone can say different doesn't know anything about hockey. He flops all over the place like a baby seal with a club over it's head. He lacks basic fundamentals of his position.

[Parks]

Man we need some Leanmean out on the ice!!!

[Amazed]

This team needs to make a couple of tweaks it is not that far away from being at the top of the conference. If Ramo can be consistent in net step 1. Step 2 a def man like a Jason Cullimore on the back line would help. Step 3 is some that is a proven scorer like a Seleanne (Im not suggesting him but a vet player that knows how to score). Hell Gary Roberts would look mighty nice with the bolt on his chest. He is a nasty player who will go threw a wall to get to you. Plus he goes to the net and knows what to do with it when he gets there.

[Another Joe]

He was given his chance last year. When he got his chance this year he was still bad and he had no room for error. He had to be good from his first shot and he wasnt.

This is hopefully the 1st move in retooling this team. Richards is going nowhere.
If i was Feaster id resign Boyle to a one or two year extension. right now he can be resigned cheaper then he ever will be able to be resigned.

Next thing i would do is trade Kuba for a prospect or a pick. He has done nothing for us but be great and then bad and then great again, and then bad again.

Keep Ramo and Holmer battling for playing time. Now that Denis is out of the picture let these two push each other. Bring them in and tell them whoever plays better plays. Period end of story.

And then hopefully the team rebounds a bit, gets sold and starts to recover.

[leo]

I totally agree, Joe. All fine points.
But what do we do if (and I say, when) Ramo JOINS Holmer at the .888sv%?
1st things 1st: Get a Brodeur in net, then check other deficiencies.
We have the best player in the world on our team and we're tied for last. What's the problem?
But hey, Ramo?
So far so good. Now let's see him sustain CONSISTENT pressure off of defensive breakdowns. Let's see him face 15 scoring chances a night, every night for a week and a half. Let's see. Because THAT will tell us EVERYTHING about him, same as it did for Denis.
Go Ramo go, but keep your eyes open, Jay.
Peace.

[Tackleberry]

Ugly game to watch last night. It's even more painful when you are a season ticket holder. My 2 cents: take the $2.8 mil and invest in the defense. Denis and Holmer will slowly get better. We are only 8 points behind the division leader. The season is almost at the half way point. ALL YOU BAND WAGON PUSSIE$, GET SOME LOYALTY IN YOUR LIFE!

If they do get rid of Richards at the end of the season, think of what you can do with $8 MILLION??? A top 5 goalie in the league or 2x top-ten defensivemen. The possibilities are huge. With the salary cap, Richards is holding the team back from acquiring top defensivemen/goalies.

THE BUCKS WILL LOSE IN THE FIRST ROUND. Leanmean43 is righ, the Bolts would go further in the playoffs that the Bucks.

[bear]

Amazed your putting us on right?
Richards a top 2 way player..uh no he is one of the worst. Almost dead last in plus minus for the 800 players in the league.

Bolts a tweak away from being the Senators??...please.

[mike m]

Brad Richards is one of the top 5 best 2 way centers in the NHL? I am not sure how you can think that. He is -20 and has never had a 30 goal season or 100 points. Yet he is paid 7.5 mill a year? He is a very good player and I definitely don't want to lose him but to be objective there are several centers out there with more points and a lower +/- who are better and get a lot less $ per year.

[John Tortorella]

Fire Ted

[hockey chic]

Well fellow bloggers it has finally happened and denis is out of here!

I gotta say after watching last nights game I agree with HTB in the fact that the Habs fans while they were in numbers so support their team.

There is nothing that makes me crazier than seeing a goal that the Bandwaggoners thinks changes the MO and look out in the aisles. What crap. A mass exodus. There is no time like now that the team needs us more.

I know my rose colored glasses are out and I too was frustrated after last nights game but it almost the new year and I am hoping for the best.

I am not sure if it was just me or what but it appears the guys play with more confidence with Ramo in the net.
I love me some Homer but it does seem he is struggling. I think with Denis out of here the guys can gain some much needed confidence.

Heres what they need to do. All go out and get their heads shaved, change back to the old jerseys (our throw backs) and come in on Saturday and kick some Flyers butt. It is worth a try right. Change the MO fellas. Or whatever you think would work lets do it.

My seats will be filled as I gave my tics to a guy at work for him and his two boys for saturdays game.

Lets get a win and get er done.

Chic is here till the bitter sweet end one way or the other. Off to the Great white north we go.

GO BOLTS!

[Another Joe]

I admit im a biased bolts fan so maybe its just wishful thinking on my part but here it goes.

In three starts Ramo has shown me has has more ability then any goalie weve had since Habby! Am i ready to hand Ramo the keys to the team and give him 9 out of 10 starts. No I still think Holmer has some talent left in the tank.

I want them to push each other and compete for every start! Thats all!

Go Bolts!

[Hate the Bandwagoners]

Amen, Chic...Amen :)

And what better way to snap out of a funk than to have the Flyers, a team we have OWNED, at home.

[Dennis]

What a laugher! Feaster can't even give this guy away! No way a legitimate, solid #1 goalie falls that far. A major mistake by Feaster and his pro scouts. They're on the hook for the remainder of this year and 2.8 mil. for next year. Richards makes 7.8 mil with a no trade clause and St. Louis has a no trade. I thought with the salary cap Feaster would flourish, instead he's failed miserably. Might be a while before the Lightning return to glory.

[Ron]

I watched the game live last night and didn't really realize how badly TB has been playing; seeing it in person put a whole different perspective. The team was tired, beaten, passing horribly, missing nets all night, allowing blue line lapses, not checking---literally any fundamental mistake you can think of, they made. St Louis seems to be having an identity crisis; he's afraid to shoot, he's unsteady in his approach. Worse, Richards is really the epitome of mediocrity. And yet, he can still command the salary he does for the weak performances he puts on is disgraceful. Am I alone in this view? I say that he may represent our best shot (no pun intended) IF we can trade him and reinfuse some of that salary back into establishing some kind of credible D.

Finally, I feel Torts' days are numbered. One sign that he's losing control (and unless I'm missing something here, please correct me); he pulls Holmer, puts in Ramo, pulls Ramo and then puts in Holmer. What the h--l is that?? Grasping at straws is what it is. Something a coach shouldn't be doing.

I think Torts' deep-think/finess approach to hockey has become a bad fit for TB, 2007/8. It may have worked when the dynamics were different in 03 and 04, but it isn't anymore. It may very well be time for a change here.

Oi vey.

[Nan]

I wish Marc the best of luck and hope that he can find a hockey team somewhere. I agree with other posts above that he probably would do better with a more defensive style team.

I hope that bringing up Ramo and moving Denis down is just the start in making some changes. It should be made clear to the rest of the team, that more changes will follow (except for the big three) in order to shake things up. This can't continue much longer. Until the sale happens no major moves will be made, so let's stop talking about trading any of the big three, firing Torts or JF because it isn't going to happen. Sit some guys for a while on the bench and/or bring some others up from Norfolk. It may work wonder for the guys who don't seem to be putting forth the effort.

Too soon to tell, but I like Ramo's style and level of confidence. I also think the team believes in him and as the games continue with him starting and hopefully keeping up a solid front, that the boys in front of him will gain confidence and improve as well.

[Derek H]

I think the team needs to take a pause.

Feaster has, imho, brought this team down. He is not a hockey man but a puke trial lawyer.

They are an empty shell.

Ramo is a good start. The big 3 (Marty and Brad especially) a little more pizzaz. I have been following and supporting the team since the 7-3 victory against the hawks at expo hall. I watched the stanley cups finals from Baghdad International Airport at 3 am every morning in what was the best (thanks to the bolts) and worst summer of my life.

This does stink of the mid 90s all over again. the difference is, it was fun back then to watch the bolts, even if they lost. I just am not seeing that warrior spirit in the last few weeks.

I believe though.

Time for new ownership. I know that PS E and OK Hockey have the pedal to the metal to get the deal done, and I want to usher in a new era immediately. I know it will be painful until then. But i'm in, damn it.

imho, some moves need to be made. Front office and on ice. Richards needs to go, he was not that good last year either. Use him to get some picks. On the current pace, we will probably pick very high this summer.

On the current track, if we make the playoffs, we will not make it past the 1st round.

Ill be there though, cheering them on, and watching them on TV, or listening on XM. They are part of me.

Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.

KICK ICE!

[brotherman]

I remember back when Denis was signed and everyone was so excited. Over a couple of beers, by buddy said "If he is so good, why did Columbus let him go? if they could of resigned him for only 2.8 mil". Good goalies are like good starting pitchers, you don't let them go. I think he was on to something more than his usual Samuel Adams. I will admit I liked him at first, he was so much mroe athletic than what we had. But, I think all the pressure has destroyed him. Coach has a way of piling it on a man that is down. I guess you could say the same thing about Kuba. Young, big, international experience? Why was he let go? And a complete flop. Whoever is recommending these guys needs to get a new job. Tortorella is grasping at straws and he is inflexible, and yes the coach is alaways the first to go, but nobody gets fired for one bad year, and the year isn't even over. I agree with alot of other people, the team has little talent and that is tough to coach. But he has lost his charges. Talk about switching goalies, he switches lines every five shifts. This has to get old to everyone on the team. He is turning it into a circus and embarassing the players by doing that. Coach needs a bit of humble pie and a little less public frustration. I don't know how much teaching he does behind close doors, but his rants have to be getting very very old in the clubhouse.

[Bobby]

Trade Brad Richards.

[ajax]

I was just watching the NHL network and they were running a piece on Vinny4. Must of had no footage on Sid ready. Anyway, the piece was how he was leading the league in scoring on a woeful team. The announcer than said, "The question is do I like his chances of winning the scoring title or the chances of the Lightning making the playoffs" His answer, "I see nothing to make me think they have a chance of playing anymore games after 82 games" I think reality has hit a national level for our team. I liked the sentence, they keep losing and he keeps scoring. And to think coach called out the top players earlier this week. Vinny has no chance to win the scoring title. Teams can zero in on him every second of the game. I would be shocked. Lately all our forwards can do is back check, hard to score when the puck is in the defensive zone the whole game, but I won't repeat myself. Tomorrow is a new day. Getting rid of Denis is step number 1 back to respectability.

[leo]

A little word on Richards.
I am in favor of trading him just to get rid of that hugely opulent contract.
But whether he's the best 5-5 player or not doesn't change my mind that he is an EXCELLENT player.
Minus 20? Who the hell is he playing with, c'mon! I got nothing against Darche but a guy like that shouldn't be on the same line as Richards. Brad is ALONE on the 2nd line. Give him SOME credit ferpetessakes!
He can play, and when we trade him to MTL for Huet and he starts playing with the Kostitsyn brothers, then y'all be like, wow, how'come Richards wasn't playing like that over here?
Peace.

[Shawn]

How is it not obvious to everyone that the logical next move is to fire Torts? Isn't that what hockey teams do when they need an urgent, quick fix? Look at what happened in Atlanta earlier this year.

leanmean and tackelberry prolly have no clue how the game of football is even played. stick to the topic - the sucka$$ lightning

[Ajax placed on waivers]

"Coaching changes make no difference" ---Ajax

Thrashers before coaching change:
0-6-0

Thrashers after coaching change:
18-12-1

Capitals before coaching change:
6-14-1

Capitals after coaching change:
8-5-3

[bear]

Leo, Ritchie has had St Louis on his wing many times this year too.

5 on 5 he just disappears.

Best Bolt last night in terms of effort was Tarnasky.

I bet someone picks up Denis in the reentry draft. He may be baak.

[Tom]

Leo, point well made. However one problem. What's Richie's excuse when he's been paired with the best in the league, the so-called CORE and still fails to produce? How about not being able to hit the net, or miss good scoring opportunities when he has gotten good set ups from Darche and previous lines? I don't think passing the buck to weaker teammates absolves Richie. Though I agree, he is a good player, but not an 8 million dollar player. Just MO./

[ajax]

I like my hockey, and I never made that quote. I only talk hockey, and respect everyone's opinion. I said "we" wouldn't get better with a coaching change. Many people agree with that. The personel attacks are back from the minority. I am dense and an idiot and "thick" etc. That agreed, I try to leave the personel garbage out of my blogs. Thanks.

[jim]

Is it really a home game for the home team when they play the night before in another city and have to travel back all night when the VISITING team is already in town. I know this happens in the NHL alot and I think something should change to give the home team the home ice advantage.
Say what you want, Marc Denis was NOT giving a chance this year. Tort's hung him out to dry. Not giving him any home starts in 3 months.........come on! This team has been terrible on the road all year. Why don't we play a defense where we try to let our goaltenders see the puck instead of everyone trying to crowd the front to block the shot. This team gives up more shots from deflections than any other team. The only only one who clears the front is Shane O'brian. Philip Kuba hasn't hit anyone in 2 years here.
As for Brad Richards, the plus minus stat is a complete joke. I'm sure all 20 goals when he was on the ice were his fault. Riiiighhht ! If Richards is such a bad player, why does every team in the league want him? Him and Vinny pose one of the leagues best 1-2 punch at center. Maybe if we could find some half way decent linemates for him, his plus minus would not be so bad. But don't pay much attention to that stat anyways, right!

[Leanmean43]

I agree with Jim, plus minus is kind of a funny stat. In my opinion it's more of an offensive stat than a defensive stat. Look at most of the league leaders in plus minus, most are offensive players. Here's an example of why plus minus is a misleading stat, if your a shut down player and your line only scores a few goals 5 on 5 a season, it doesn't matter how good you are defensively your going to have a bad plus minus if your line doesn't score goals 5 on 5. Richards plays close to 30 minutes a night, and most of his points come on the powerplay. Being on the ice for half the game combined with his line not scoring 5 on 5 produces a bad plus minus rating. If Richards had wingers he'd be an 100 point scorer too. Richards is one of the league leaders in PP points, that proves that if he plays with talented players he can produce.

[mike]

I say this because i love the lightning... 2004 i drove and scalped tickets in calgary for 400$-nosebleed-love.
nobody hung denise but denise himself. Like what herb said. "he lacks all fundamentals". people are crying oh poor denise didn't get a chance. he got several chances. hell when holmer was bad hegot pulled and denise mad it worse. hell... in the game with calgary i don't know why torts even pulled him out. denise never ever was good and never made anything better and to keep him is absurd.

I love most of the players. I think rich is overpriced but he always has to play with turds.

The funniest part about all of this is there is an inept coach and a lawyer-trying-to-be-manager scrambling to save their jobs and their face.
This team has such good players, talent and potential. Those things need leadership for them to grow. for whatever reason that is not part of this team anymore. you need that to be a team. and right now we are a bunch of guys on the ice in discord.

I LOVE THE LIGHTNING!!!!!!

[leo]

Fails to produce?
A blogger pointed out to me that if you put Richards on the habs team, he automatically becomes their highest point-getter. And yet, we're last and the habs are 4th. Why? More talented? Nay. More complete. If Brad was with the Kostitsyn brothers, playing 17 mins a game instead of 30, you'd see his +/- change sides in a hurry. Brad Richards produces; there's no denying that, whether it's 5 on 5, 5 on 4 or 6 on 2.
Besides, I can't even take credit for this line of thought; I'm only repeating what I heard someone else say. Guess who?
Jacques Demers.
Ring a bell?
If Jacques Demers says that Richards' +/- is directly influenced by his sub-standard linemates, then that's good enough for me.
Trade Richards? (More like, dump him)Yes, if you can, because his contract's a killer and we just might get something in return.
Not because he's a bad player.
Peace.

[leo]

Fails to produce?
A blogger pointed out to me that if you put Richards on the habs team, he automatically becomes their highest point-getter. And yet, we're last and the habs are 4th. Why? More talented? Nay. More complete. If Brad was with the Kostitsyn brothers, playing 17 mins a game instead of 30, you'd see his +/- change sides in a hurry. Brad Richards produces; there's no denying that, whether it's 5 on 5, 5 on 4 or 6 on 2.
Besides, I can't even take credit for this line of thought; I'm only repeating what I heard someone else say. Guess who?
Jacques Demers.
Ring a bell?
If Jacques Demers says that Richards' +/- is directly influenced by his sub-standard linemates, then that's good enough for me.
Trade Richards? (More like, dump him)Yes, if you can, because his contract's a killer and we just might get something in return.
Not because he's a bad player.
Peace.

[Frank]

This is a continuing indictment of the Lightning's scouting, player development, and personnel management skills. Denis was to be replaced by Pascal Leclaire as the starting goalie in Columbus, yet we scouted him and traded a top six forward for him. Columbus wanted to dump him, and we took him for a high price. The continued signings of the secondary pieces also haven't panned out. The search continues for linemates for Richards. Feaster always preached the value of the minor leagues, but look at the sad sight in Norfolk. No help in sight there, unlike other clubs who have drafted well and developed players. The scouting needs to be overhauled at least, and a real hockey GM/personnel man brought in. Have the players also tuned out Torts?? As much as I like him, maybe Ramsey's exit is the beginning of the end.

[jr]

Hello? The move means nothing in terms of team performance. He wasn't playing anyway. It's a salary dump and opens a roster spot.

[Rudy]

TBO:
It's a tired story. The problems today are the problems of yesterday, problems never fixed. It's still about shaky defense, weak goalies and just one scoring line. Yeah, yeah, Vinny and Marty and Richy. The Lightning have become the most boring exciting team in hockey, a three-year broken record.

Denis is a smoking gun. The Lightning surrendered Freddie Modin to get him. They've never replaced Modin. They've also never replaced Nikolai Khabibulin, Dave Andreychuk and Cory Stillman.

This season's solutions? Chris Gratton was good for about two weeks. Jan Hlavac, scorer, has been a joke. And forget bringing a winger up from the farms. There aren't any. The Lightning continue to live off the 1998 Lecavalier-Richards draft. The franchise hasn't developed a scorer since.

It has never developed a goaltender.

[Rudy]

We don’t have Captain that is Dave Andreychuk was not really replaced.
Do you think team need one?
I even think that Dave if we put him on now well be more help then Boile and others.

[Rudy]

I wonder how Vinny Lecavalier fill about playing with this team.
He is hold back. Can you imagine what he will do with other team? I thing you guys wasting time figure out who going to trade who. And who we have to keep. Vinny going to be gone very sun. Richard, Marty – we stuck with them .

[bear]

Rudy the loyalists seem to gloss over the fact that Feaster threw in Frederick Norina, NHL ready goalie, into the Modin deal too.

He has played well for Columbus last two years...that trade was freakin pathetic.

Dudley built this team, all these clowns have done is dine off the cup and let the franchise implode.

[Mike13]

Glad to see that SOMETHING has been done. Its a start. Hopefully, it will lead to more changes. I bet that this move gets spun as a salary saving move.

[wank]

Unless they put Denis in the Rentry draft then there is no salary saving.

If he gets picked up in the rentry then Bolts are just on the hook for half of whats left.

Gee wonder where those dollars go.

[dwight]

If they buy him out at the end of his AHL season they are only on the hook for half. It is a salary dump.

[Rudy]

Other disaster in two hours?
Another drink to calm me down
. I don’t even fill like watching anymore. It’s joke.
But it is just a game. We don’t taking it seriously, but still who want to watch it?

[Lightning rod]

Denis not working out here? Our defensive and system. Brad a -20? Our defensive and system. Our -22 when 5 on 5? Our defensive and system. I can go on, but we all know what the weaknesses of this team are and have been for the last 2 years. There are no quick fixes, under the $44m cap and possible sale of the team. I do however believe that someone on this team needs to get mad as hel, and take a leadership role. I was actually hoping that the Havs score would end up 10 to 0, so someone anyone would get PO'ed. At this point they need a leader.

[Steve]

Great point Rod, I was hoping the same thing in the habs game. Maybe if our captain would step up, oh that's right, we don't even have a Captain. I've stuck with the team through thick and thin, and will continue to do so, it's just unfortunate how poorly we have drafted recently along with managements inability to fill holes. Somebody should pay the price, and I'm not sure just replacing Torts is going to provide a long-term solution.

[Steve]

Waiving Denis saves no salary unless someone claims him on re-entry waivers (talk about a belated Christmas gift). If the Lightning do buy him out at the end of this year, I believe they still have to pay 2/3 of his salary on a buyout, which won't save that much salary but I'm sure they'll do it as he is not playing anyway.

[Rudy]

Now I am sounding like broken record, but I can’t help it.
We don’t have a captain, we don’t have a motivations, we don’t have spirit, willingness to play, It’s look to me like all of them play just get over it. It is look to me that somebody is not doing his job. If we replace a coach, it is maybe not long time solution, but you can maybe get team to play. It’s worth to try, usually it help.
I remember Rangers, after they got a cup, they was in very similar situation. They trade Captain – Messier, everything vent wrong. They trade god players, changed coach couple time, even Tortorrela got his shot, finally they got Messier back and they start recover . With ‘bad’ players, all good ones they dump. And it was no money problem at all. They had all money they can get. And they trade that Captain (Mess) because he was too old and getting slow.

[Jonathan]

What I saw in the first period:
Seem to be OK defensively, except for lapse by Luko and Ranger standing in the crease blocking Ramo a few times.
Gratton seems to be having a very good first. Gave Richards a good setup with 12.20 to go in the first and really went to town on a faceoff with about 11.00 to go. Great goal by Vinny with Grats in front of the net also.

Ok, now lets talk about the +/- and Richards. Ive read here that it wouldnt be so bad if his linemates were better. Well, notwithstanding that he should make them better or do more himself, why is he WORST on the team with the +/-??? If these untalented players are slowing him down, shouldnt their #s be worse?

"Being on the ice for half the game combined with his line not scoring 5 on 5 produces a bad plus minus rating." - No kidding, that is EXACTLY our point!!! Why isnt his line scoring? Why isnt he scoring? Why is not playing to his potential. The salary is over and done with, but he's not even playing like a $5m center, that's me biggest complaint with him. I know he has the talent, he just isnt giving the effort necessary.

Refs are awful, but for once it seems to be in our favor.

[leo]

Steve, if I may,
Unless I'm mistaken, once Denis is in the minors, his salary no longer figures on our cap? Not sure, but if such is the case, then we DO save money, (or HAVE MORE when time comes to buy).
Jonathan, if I may,
Richards is alone, playing 30 minutes, against FULL opposing lines. If his +/- was REALLY an indication of his bad play, don't you think John "Mr.Patient" Tortorella would have sat him? Or at least diminished his ice-time?
It was blogger Vic (some say me in disguise which is an insult to Vic, sorry Vic) who said that if Richards was making 3.5mil a year, none of us would have a problem, and he's right.
2nd and 3rd week of the season, he sucked. That's pretty much it. I think he's been great the rest of the time.
Our net has been weak all year, so has our D. This obviously translates in SOME WAY to attackers' +/-, don't you agree?
I don't want to excuse Richards, of course he's responsible in a major way, but we ask him to do everything: PK, PP, ES, everything. We NEED his offence so let's forgive his +/-. Would you rather he be at -0 with half his points?
Jacques Demers says that with genuine 2nd line NHL wingers, Richards would be a terror.
Whereas, I say with a genuine num1 goalie, EVERYONE'S +/- goes up.
Peace.

[David]

How can people say Denis was given no chance.

From tsn.ca

Denis has one win in 10 starts this season with a 4.05 goals against average.

Denis' last game for the Lightning was back on December 18 against Atlanta when he gave up three goals on 15 shots in just two periods of play.

The Lightning acquired Denis from the Columbus Blue Jackets last June for Fredrik Modin and Fredrik Norrena. He is scheduled to earn $2.8-million this season and $3-million next year. If no one claims him off waivers by noon Saturday, Denis is expected to be assigned to Tampa Bay's AHL affiliate in Norfolk.

Denis had his chances this year, 10 of them, and blew them.

One thing people aren't mentioning here is the press in this town. If this is a northern city, or a Canadian city the press is beating the drum daily for the heads of Feaster and Torts because they aren't getting the job done. But that kind of critical article doesn't seem to happen down here for whatever reason.

To have no captain is unforgiveable. In my opinion to have even given the C to Taylor who cannot produce on the ice anymore was insane, and to allow him to keep it for a year of rehab is grossly detrimental to the team. If Taylor was any kind of a leader, he relinquishes the C. Richards, the fair haired boy of the two-headed Feasterella monster doesn't deserve the C either, I don't know what they see in him to consider him the heir apparent.

O'Brien, who at least comes to play, sits in the box 2 out of 3 periods and probably has the best upside of the penalty magnets Feasterella brought in last year because they like guys with "jam". Bringing in old and slow clutch and grabbers for a 2nd and 3rd go round shows they aren't really trying to find solutions. Isn't the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and hoping the result will change?

From the top to the bottom the organization needs a house-cleaning. The absentee owner who doesn't care anymore, and I'll cut him some slack since dealing with estate issues probably is a greater priority than the team, to the president who hasn't realized how the team is being destroyed from within to the GM who might be a good lawyer but has proven to understand neither hockey talent nor contracts under the salary cap to the coach who has been tuned out by the majority of the team to a goalie coach who has not helped any of Khabibulin's successors. Yet every single one of them is still here while Ramsey is forced out. The only ones who are held accountable are the ones who end up in the Torts doghouse.

Even with no improvements this team should make the playoffs with the current line-up, the east is week and the southeast is horrible. A new year with a new coach for a start could give us the bump to make the playoffs and/or the division. Then a new gm could look at improvements that aren't necessarily wholesale in nature.

[FAN FOR JUSTICE]

David you should watch Tennis...

Denis did not have 10 starts this year

He got 4 starts = 1W 3L

The other stats were from games he replaced the number 1 goalie Holmqvist.

[David]

Take it up with tsn.ca Fan For Justice

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=226003&hubname=nhl

And why do you resort to an ad hominem attack?

[FAN FOR JUSTICE]

Sorry David ! It was not a personnal attack.

But I am so fed up of people who are blasting and blaming Denis for the poor season so far...

Denis won everywhere he played before...

Best Canadian goalie of the year in the Canadian Junior Hockey league.

Went to the Memorial Cup final

Won 2 WORLD Junior Championship

Won the Calder Cup in the AHL

In Columbus was in net for 79 of the 82 games, one year.

How can he became so bad in 2 years in Tampa ?

Food to tought....

[jr]

David...one of the very few posters who understands hockey and makes sense. Please post more often, David. We have a few other posters who would rather post than think.

[ajax]

Many good comments
Tampa is a graveyard for goalies with this team.
Torts, fair or not, should be fired. Could anyone at 1 Lightning place say they are improving?
Feaster more than anyone should be fired, his plus/minus as a GM would be off the chart negative.
They played very hard today and therein lies part of the problem. They have to kill themselves to just be competitive.
But best blog was the one that said talk all ya want, nothing, NOTHING will be done until sale is done.
I think reality is that this year is being written off by management. I keep trying to juggle what has happened the past three weeks and the woeful conclusion is that it will be status quo until sale is done.
Let's hope they have money to make tough calls.
I am no genius but if I see one more pass to a stationary forward I am going to puke. If I see one more blind wrap around from Kuba I am going to puke. The system is a mess. Maddening!!
Along road trip is just what the "fans" need. We need a healthy Dan Boyle, he will help this woeful transition game all by himself. So many long stretches of time spent in D zone. Wears everyone out.
Last comment, Marty played the whole day with Brad, and I barely new Brad was on the ice. They reunite the MVP line in the 3rd period and they score. 4 even strength goals in his last 57 and counting. Mr. Invisible

[V.]

Here's what i think. If Brad never won the Conn Symth Trophy....(which should have been Habby's) we would have never lost the best goalie we've ever had. And we ended up losing someone who could play with Brad and produce in Modin, for a goalie from the worst team in the NHL in the past. Brad would be a better player if he played with better players. As much as I don't like him, it's not like he has a consistent line. They keep changing all the time and it's not helping him.

As for Vinny, trade him and not even half the arena will be filled. Vinny is the team, the franchise, and the face of the lightning. You want a full out mutiny, trade Vinny.

[David]

Fair enough Fan.

I don't think Denis is great, but we don't have a good situation for him (or any goalie) here I'll give you that. He did play a lot in Columbus his save percentage was exactly .900 and his gaa 3.25, 49 games in his last year there 05-05. Not horrible, but not great. 03-04 .918 and 2.56(his best) 66 games, 02-03 .903 3.08 77 games. The years previous he was slowly improving to that level he got in 02-04 according to http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?name=Marc+Denis&hubname=nhl-lightning

None of the goalies has looked great, but of the batch I think only Graham gives Denis a run for the money as the worst. I've said before that all the goalies we've had since Khabi, excepting Ramo, have been the worst kind of goalie to have. Inconsistent! Not bad, not great, but capable enough to put a few good games together so a gm can fool himself into thinking they can develop. Problem is nobody did develop. A bad goalie is better than an inconsistent goalie because he forces management to do something.

With the big contract, and being part of a trade that sent a popular and productive Modin and NHL capable Norena to Columbus he's going to bear the brunt of the fans' wrath. The big contract just makes it easier for him to be sent down to clear cap space. Though we know we won't spend the money because of the internal cap.

On an aside, I often wonder if the Lightning Olympic Debacle of Torts making the players come home immediately resulting in Modin missing the homecoming resulted in his quietly asking for the move.

I still think he had enough ice time this season to show something, we'll just disagree on that.

[Rudy]

David : that is absolutely correct about Olympic. That was shook for me. And if you remember they loose that game anyway and players just give up . and I noticed then from that moment it start changing. Momentum for Torts was going to minus. That was not even business decision, that was personnel and rude. I mentioned this couple times but no one acknowledge this.

[weezer]

Rudy, you are correct. Players have tuned out this guy. He knows only how to berate and only knows one style of hockey. Thrashers fired a Cup winning coach earley in the season and they've turned it around.

[harvey]

David. You sir , did an outstanding job describing Denis's career here and before he got here. I especially like this ...............

"Inconsistent! Not bad, not great, but capable enough to put a few good games together so a gm can fool himself into thinking they can develop. Problem is nobody did develop. A bad goalie is better than an inconsistent goalie because he forces management to do something."

Exactly!!!

Both Denis and Grahame fooled me, and others, into thinking they were about to turn the corner and become "THE" guy. Never happened. Never will.

Great Analysis! Well Done!! However, with all due respect, there is something that needs to be cleared up here. Sending Denis to the farm does not clear up cap space. Not as far as the Lightning, or the NHL are concerned. What that move actually does is add to both. Let me explain.

There are 2 types of contracts in the NHL. What they call one way contracts and two way contracts. An example is Hlavac. He signed a 2 way deal. 700k/90k. What that means is that as long as he is on the Lightning's NHL roster he makes 700k and that is his cap hit. If he gets sent to the minors, he makes 90k and it does NOT count against the NHL cap as he is now considered under a minor league contract. It's 2 contracts in one and the team pays them accordingly. If in the minors, they play under the minor league contract and that has no effect on the NHL cap. On the other hand................. One way NHL contracts are guaranteed and count against the cap regardless of where the player plays. Denis has a one way contract. He collects his 2.8 mil regardless of where he plays and every penny of the contract counts against the NHL cap.

So........the 2.8 is not only still on the NHL books as cap money, it's on the Lightning's books. By bringing up Ramo, they just added about 700k to both their self imposed cap AND their NHL cap numbers. This was no salary dump. The reason Denis isn't here is for nonperformance. Period!