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Published: December 12, 2008
OTTAWA - Tampa Bay's transaction wire continues to be as hot as a fire burning inside a chimney north of the border.
The Lightning on Friday placed defenseman Mike Lundin on waivers, sending him back to Tampa while he waits to see if he clears. Also, right wing Steve Downie was reassigned to AHL Norfolk. In addition, left wing Matt Pettinger was activated off injured reserve and center Zenon Konopka's status changed from an emergency recall to a regular recall.
The biggest surprise was waving Lundin, who last year took part in the NHL Youngstars game, part of the All-Star game festivities. The 24-year-old appeared in 81 games with the Lightning last season as a rookie and for stretches this season played as a top-four defenseman, logging 18-20 minutes a night.
But the 6-foot-2, 188-pound graduate of the University of Maine was a healthy scratch in Tampa Bay's past two home games, and played less than seven minutes in each of the past two games he played.He has until noon Saturday to be picked up by another team or he will be reassigned to Norfolk.
"Mike's at a little bit of a crossroads right now,'' interim head coach Rick Tocchet said. "We are looking for a little more aggressiveness out of him, I'm obviously not talking about fighting and he's not somebody who is going to crush guys, but more closing on the puck, a little harder on the puck.''
Downie, acquired in a deal from Philadelphia, was called up on Nov. 27 and appeared in eight games, recording one goal.
[footer]Reporter Erik Erlendsson can be reached at (813) 259-7835.
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