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Like It Or Not, Bolts Taking Action

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 12, 2008

TAMPA - Brian Lawton, the new Lightning vice president of hockey operations, wore a healthy growth of stubble to a Forum news conference Friday.

Playoff beard?

"When I have time to sleep, I'll shave," Lawton said.

The news keeps coming. Friday, Lightning GM Jay Feaster resigned, a decision described by Lawton as "somewhat mutual," though Feaster made the call.

"Frankly, it's not like a death or anything," Lawton said. "It's really a celebration. Jay had an incredible run here, the team won the Stanley Cup, a lot of great things have happened, we all realize that."

Bet Feaster celebrated like crazy.

The Lightning round continues.

Like him or not - and many didn't like some of Feaster's personnel mistakes - the man was GM of this team when it won the Stanley Cup 39 years ago. It has been 39, right?

Lawton, a driving force in convulsive, rapid-fire Lightning moves, has spent long nights in the empty Forum since joining the team. Owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie don't like wasted time.

Lawton was so bleary-eyed the other day he thought he saw bomb-sniffing dogs and police scurry by his Forum cubbyhole at 1 in the morning. Only there really were police and dogs. It was a drill.

"They told me they'd planted bomb-like material," Lawton said. "I thought, 'What's going to happen around here next?' "

Always On The Move

It won't involve standing in place. New ownership has been on the run, and so has Lawton.

It hasn't been an entirely pretty business. The handling of the now-departed Dan Boyle has hit home with some Lightning fans, who are bound to raise objections next week when the new owners hold a town-hall meeting at the Forum.

But action beats inaction, at least to the new crew.

The Bolts are now without the coach, GM, Conn Smythe winner and best defenseman from the Cup team.

Lawton was diplomatic.

"That's a very good point. At the same time, with all those people ... boy, look at the pieces you named, the results weren't there. That's a signal that changes need to be made ... 30th place is 30th place, and that's not acceptable."

Look, I like this team getting Ryan Malone. I like that deal better than any one Feaster ever made. He swung and missed too often. The Marc Denis trade stands as a defining moment in the Lightning decline.

So does a scouting department that just didn't do its job. There was far too little down on the Lightning farm. Former coach John Tortorella warned of it. Lawton says an overhaul is coming.

"We don't have enough kids who are on the way," he said.

Really, did anyone expect these guys to stand pat?

"We could go with the existing group and hope that everybody performs better," Lawton said. "We're just not three guys who rely on hope. We're a little more aggressive than that, a little more action-oriented than that."

An 'Enjoyable' Start

Lawton talked about goalie Olaf Kolzig, a great pickup for the new guys, and how Kolzig could help mentor Mike Smith and Karri Ramo.

"Unfortunately, there's no other way to say it, but it's been a little bit of a graveyard for the goalies here," Lawton said. "... To be fair, Jay and his team did a great job to get a guy like Mike Smith in here. We've got a lot of hopes for Mike Smith."

But ...

"It would not have been fair, in our opinion, to just come into the season with Karri and Mike."

Lawton is an interesting story. Twenty-five years ago, he became famous as the first U.S.-born player chosen No. 1 in the NHL draft, then seemingly as famous for not being a star. He later became a top player agent.

Now this.

"It's been nothing short of enjoyable," he said.

Jay Feaster has left the building.

Brian Lawton is staying late.

What's going to happen around here next?

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