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Something Had To Give In This Whirlwind Week

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By MARTIN FENNELLY

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 5, 2008

Updated: 07/05/2008 12:12 am

Seen Boyle?

Well, you won't.

Oh Danny boy, the Sharks, the Sharks are calling.

Standout and stand-up Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle has been "convinced" to be traded to San Jose, the capper to a blinding whirlwind of done deals by the new driving force on Channelside Drive. Those ATM thrill seekers, the real Lightning bolts, co-owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie, now plan to draw their first breaths since taking over this last-place franchise. Barry Melrose's hair would have stood on end with excitement if it wasn't axle-greased down.

Have you ever seen anything like this? It was a week to leave Lightning followers too dazzled and dazed to break it down. It was lights, camera, checkbook. This is not going to be boring - ever. Meet Jerry Jones' long lost twins. Koules and Barrie promised to be active. Heck, they've been close to radioactive.

The Big Four Is Down To Two

They mean business, and business can and might get ugly. Barrie takes no prisoners and "Saw" man Koules made money on blood and gore, so what are hard feelings from Boyle, who thinks he was lied to, misled and muscled out of Tampa.

Hey, didn't Koules and Barrie sort of sign off on a Boyle re-signing last February?

And away we go!

The Big Four has Two Left, Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis.

Then again, with all Four last season, the Lightning were dead last.

Remember that.

Koules and Barrie do.

Their plan doesn't include bringing back Cup-winning coach John Tortorella, a real gamble, as is dealing Boyle, one of the top defensemen in the league and an offensive gem.

The plan rolls on.

Don't blink or you'll miss some of it.

Koules and Barrie spent about 70 million bucks, half of them "Saw" bucks, on contracts in and around the bell sounding.

A lot of what they did instantly made this team better.

Ryan Malone, seven years, $31.5 million. Radim Vrbata, three years, $9 million. Vinny Prospal (again), four years, $14 million.

And Gary Roberts, and Adam Hall, and, maybe best of all, goaltending insurance Olaf Kolzig.

Salary cap, schmalary cap.

Koules also reportedly called the Rays and asked about Evan Longoria.

Hey, you never know.

And the new Bolts haven't even signed Seen Stamkos, the No. 1 pick, and there's the impending Vinny Bolt-for-life contract.

Something had to give.

Oh Danny boy ...

Short term, trading him is a hit.

Two steps forward, two steps back?

Down the road, there might be value, and maybe down the road is what the Bolts should be thinking about.

For Boyle (and Brad Lukowich) the Lightning get draft picks from San Jose, including a No. 1. They get defenseman Matt Carle, who has puck-handling skills, as well as prized Sharks defensive prospect and former first-round pick Ty Wishart.

You have to love a lot of what happened this week.

Look at the new offense.

Two lines?

How about three?

Do I hear four?

Let it rip.

That's these new guys.

The owners, that is.

Business Is Business

Back to the gamble. Without any guarantee of instant return, the Lightning just traded the best back-liner on a team that's already front-loaded. Boyle will boost San Jose provided he gets someone to hang up his skates.

But Koules and Barrie had no plan to pay the nearly 32-year-old Boyle $6.5-million-plus when he was 35 or 36.

In that sense it makes sense.

Maybe the rest of it will make sense, too.

There will be more business.

Koules and Barrie aren't done.

Dan Boyle is, at least in Tampa.

He sleeps with the Sharks.

Seen Koules?

Seen Barrie?

They remain a blur.

Just like the Lightning's future.

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