Vrbata signing official

The Lightning signed the left wing, formally of the Coyotes, to a three-year, $9-million deal.

Here is part of the official announcement:

“In Radim, we are thrilled to add another quality person to our roster, helping us raise our scoring capabilities,” said owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie in a joint statement. “He is a high-end talent and a quality person who will play amongst our core group of forwards and make the Lightning a harder team to defend against night in and night out.”

Vrbata, 27, enjoyed a breakthrough season in Phoenix in 2007-08, setting career highs and finishing as the Coyotes’ second-leading scorer with 27 goals and 56 points in 76 games. He also led the Coyotes in shorthanded goals (3) and ranked tied for third in power-play goals (7). Following the season he enjoyed a strong tournament at the 2008 World Championships, tying for second on the Czech Republic with five goals in seven games.

Vrbata was drafted in the 7th round, 212th overall, by the Colorado Avalanche in 1999. A 6-foot-1, 190-pound native of Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic, Vrbata made a strong NHL debut with Colorado in 2001-02, tallying 18 goals and 30 points in 50 games as a 20-year-old. He played one more season in Colorado before a trade to Carolina, where he appeared in 106 games during parts of three seasons. He joined Chicago during the 2005-06 season and was traded to Phoenix prior to last season.

Vrbata played three seasons (1998-99 through 2000-01) with Hull and Shawinigan in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before turning pro, tallying 107 goals and 254 points in 167 games.

Comments

[bob]

new signing who is Koci anyone know

[tom]

david koci just signed to tampa according to tsn.com

[Don in St. Pete]

Stillman can score but is a defensive liability. We got much more in Vrbata, a guy with breakaway speed, tremendous open ice and one on one skills and is responsible defensively. I'll be back in a few with my version of our new lineup.

[David]

If the old group were still in charge, Damian's job would be a lot easier. No needed to update stories and blogs every 5 minutes for days on end.

[bob]

hey matt are you really feaster

[bob]

But neither is a lightning now so i guess it doesnt matter

[bob]

He helped get the lightning and carolina get then in their cup years does rolston have a cup

"Rolston gone to nj and i though we were offering to much 5mil we should try Fedorov"

Man I'm glad you are not in charge....

[matt]

"damn Stillman is better than rolston and the Panthers got him for 3.9 over 3"

That's funny.... What does Stillman do in the playoffs?

[TJ]

Well, I have to say I am certainly impressed with OK Hockey so far. Yes, it's early, but they have followed through on the promise to be "shockingly aggressive" in the FA market...boy howdy...

(and just as an aside, LightningRod, it's "sows ears" not cows...lol)

[nhlman]

With Prospal and Vrbata, I think we'll be the home team in Prague!

[LightningRod]

The poor us "we are losing money" deal with Davidson's group was always "a little red lie". The guy was a billionaire, who owns numerous money making companies. The Lightning's money losses to him were great tax right-offs. It's the same for the OK hockey guys. They will benefit from any paper losses, against their other income, which they have in spades. The real difference, between Davidson and OK, is the 2 top OK guys played and love hockey; and they want a CUP. What I have been told, by people that know them, is that they will spend what it takes to make their fantasy/dream come true.

I am so glad Davidson sold the team. Can you imagine what would have happened today, with them still in charge. I shudder to thing of the things Feaster would be saying, about the great pick-ups he made today. Silk purses and cow's ears come to mind. However, I will never forget that without that group, it's 99.9% sure thing that the Lightning would never have won the CUP, when they did. All of the owners, prior to them, never had the money to spend to make it happen. I have to give them the credit and respect they deserve for that.

[TJ]

LOL...looks like they messed up. I think they meant to say Gary Roberts. But how they got Richards from Roberts, I'll never figure.

[bob]

damn Stillman is better than rolston and the Panthers got him for 3.9 over 3

[MarkH]

"formally with the Coyotes"

Is that sorta like FORMERLY with the Coyotes ?

:)

evidently we also signed Brad Richards....http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=Aj6y6PfSSBzo2cQQFCQNJ5ImvLYF?slug=ap-lightning-moves&prov=ap&type=lgns

[bob]

Rolston gone to nj and i though we were offering to much 5mil we should try Fedorov

[TJ]

That rumor has been floating around most of the afternoon. I don't see it happening. The Lightning are planning to extend his contract by another 2 years, why the heck would we trade for him then turn around and trade him? I don't think so.

[boltcc]

Sportsnet.ca is now saying the Lightning are shopping Mike Smith.

[steve]

perhaps we should of hired Rolston's brother as a ticket taker.. then maybe he would of come here :(

[TJ]

Or maybe Espo would like to come out of the broadcast booth and get a piece of this action? I would love to live close enough to even give a thought to buying season tickets. Or single game tickets for that matter.... oh well...

[Hawkeye]

Dang, is Gretzky and Orr available too? This is nuts, especially with the old owners saying they were losing money at $44 Mil.

Not looking forward to season ticket prices next year. :doh:

[TJ]

Tucker signed with the Avalanche. Haven't heard whether Mats has made up his mind yet...

[Badbud]

WHY??? Tucker is done, we have seen his crap before.

Vrbata,good pick up

[Max Hunter]

Wow! I think this is going to be a VERY good thing. Now if we can only get Tucker or Sudin...hmmm...