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Lightning Ask Boyle To Waive His No-Trade Clause
Tribune photo by JASON BEHNKEN
Dan Boyle is apparently leaning toward staying with the Bolts even though the team's new management apparently wants to trade him.
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Published: July 4, 2008
TAMPA - Teams are lining up while talks are heating up for the services of Dan Boyle.
But there is no guarantee Boyle will give up his right to remain in Tampa.
After spending millions to revamp the Lightning roster in the past week, new owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie likely are looking to shed some payroll. Boyle's six-year, $40 million contract makes the 31-year-old defenseman the second-highest-paid player on the team next season, behind only Vinny Lecavalier.
Boyle said Thursday the Lightning had contacted him to ask if he would waive the no-trade clause that was negotiated into his contract extension in February, but he gave no indication he was willing to accommodate the request.
"I want to be in Tampa. I don't have any intention of waiving my no-trade clause as I stand here on my back porch," Boyle said early Thursday. "You know, I played in Florida, but I feel that my career began in Tampa, and I don't think that anybody can ask for more than to have somebody who wants to play for the jersey on their chest and the city."
But if Boyle is steadfast in his unwillingness to waive the no-trade clause, the team could try to convince him by suggesting it will place him on waivers, which would give Boyle no say in where he plays. If he were placed on waivers, it is almost certain another team would claim him, leaving the Lightning with nothing in return for one of the top puck-moving defensemen in the league, other than getting rid of his salary.
"Both sides have been working together to try to do what's best for both sides," Barrie said. "Just working on a few things, and we want to be fair to Dan. Working with him has been nothing but classy."
TSN television in Canada reported Boyle had requested time to weigh his options and possibly look at any team Tampa Bay has potentially worked out a trade with.
Those teams are believed to include San Jose and possibly Philadelphia, although the Flyers are close to the salary cap and would have to shed payroll to add Boyle.
Another team rumored to be interested was Boyle's hometown Ottawa Senators. But Ottawa general manager Bryan Murray told the Ottawa Citizen his team probably would not consider a move, based mainly on Boyle's contract.
"That's the problem," Murray said. "It's money and age a little bit. We've talked to Tampa Bay, but what it comes down to is that it's difficult for us at this point in time."
After the recent additions of forwards Ryan Malone, Radim Vrbata and Gary Roberts and goaltender Olie Kolzig, plus the anticipated signing of No. 1 draft pick Steven Stamkos, the Lightning payroll is expected to push up near the $53 million mark. Ideally, Tampa Bay would like to be just a shade under $50 million.
In the past week, as the Boyle rumors began to make their way around the league, new coach Barry Melrose and Koules discussed how valuable they believed Boyle was to the Lightning lineup.
"We feel Dan is the best puck-moving defenseman in the league," Koules said earlier this week.
At last week's news conference to introduce Stamkos, Melrose said that "as far as I'm concerned, I'm counting on Dan Boyle to be the quarterback on the power play and play 25 minutes a night."
SALE CLOSES: The sale of the team to Koules and Barrie, along with six other minority investors, officially closed on Thursday morning, according to Koules. The $200 million deal includes the Lightning, the lease on the St. Pete Times Forum and 5.5 acres of surrounding land.
DEPTH SIGNINGS: The Lightning signed a pair of players to contracts Thursday. Center Wyatt Smith, a 31-year-old free agent, is a veteran of 211 NHL games with five different teams. He appeared in 25 games with Colorado last season, chipping in three assists. Smith agreed to a one-year, two-way contract.
Tampa Bay also signed 21-year-old defenseman Scott Jackson from the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League to a standard three-year entry level deal. Jackson, a former second-round pick of St. Louis in 2005, played six seasons for Seattle but was never signed by the Blues.
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