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Talks with Smaby ongoing

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON

eerlendsson@tampatrib.com

Published: July 21, 2009

TAMPA - Lightning general manager Brian Lawton made progress during a meeting Monday in Minnesota with the agent for defenseman Matt Smaby in hopes of hammering out a deal before next week's arbitration hearing.

Lawton had lunch with Minneapolis-based agent Ben Hankinson to continue negotiations before a scheduled July 28 arbitration hearing in Toronto.

Smaby is believed to be seeking a one-way contract, which would pay the 24-year-old the same amount whether he played at the NHL level or in the minor leagues.

"No deal yet, but we are moving forward and there is some common ground that we agree upon," Hankinson said in an e-mail Monday.

Lawton shared the optimism.

"We are making progress and hope to have it completed before next week," Lawton said in an e-mail. "Maybe as early as this weekend."

Smaby appeared in a career-high 43 games last season with the Lightning, recording four assists and 50 penalty minutes and played most of the final month with a broken bone in his foot.

Reporter Erik Erlendsson can be reached at (813) 259-7835.

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