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Lightning Extend Contract With Goaltender Smith

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 14, 2008

Updated: 07/14/2008 12:38 pm

TAMPA - The busy offseason for the Tampa Bay Lightning continued today as the team signed goaltender Mike Smith to a two-year contract extension.

Smith's new contract will pay him $2 million when the extension begins at the start of the 2009-10 season while increasing to $2.4 million for the 2010-11 season. He was in the final year of his contract that pays him $950,000 this year.

Smith, 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, was acquired from the Dallas Stars at last season's trade deadline, along with forwards Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern, in the deal that sent Brad Richards to Dallas.

Smith, 26, was originally drafted in the fifth round in 2001 by Dallas. In 13 games with the Lightning last season, he posted a 2.79 goals-against average, an .893 save percentage and one shutout.

Smith, a member of the All-Rookie team in 2007, has a career record of 27-24-0 with a 2.45 goals- against average, a .905 save percentage and six shutouts.

Internet rumors this month suggested that Smith was on the trading block because of the Lightning's acquisition of free-agent veteran goaltender Olaf Kolzig. But the plan entering training camp is to have Smith grab hold of the No. 1 job with Kolzig serving in a backup/mentoring role while offering a safety net in case Smith falters in his first opportunity at being a No. 1 goaltender.

"It goes without saying that Mike has a bright future in the Lightning organization," Lightning vice president of hockey operations Brian Lawton said. "It is important in our plan to have locked up Mike, along with Ollie, to solidify our goaltending situation this season and beyond."

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