The time has come for Lecavalier to be a leader

The Lightning are coming off the Olympic break, the one they went into reeling. Vinny Lecavalier led the way, reeling right along. It's time for No. 4 to get off his butt, or his contract, and be a captain and lead a playoff charge, score like a shooting star, perform like the highest-paid player in the National Hockey League.

Don't hold your breath.

That Vinny doesn't play here anymore.

Vincent Lecavalier is making $10 million this season, more than Sidney Crosby, more than Alex Ovechkin, more than anyone. Did you know that? Some nights it's like common thievery. Vinny is shortchanging his team - and his own talent.

He has scored only 15 goals. He's on pace for 20, which would be his poorest showing since 2002. There are 93 NHL players who have scored more times than Vinny, including three on his own team. Steve Downie has as many goals as Vinny, who doesn't have a single point the last five games. That's ridiculous. That's inexcusable. It has to stop.

Don't hold your breath.

Vinny is a nice guy, maybe too nice. If only his game came with a killer instinct. He is a wonderful person. He puts his money where his heart is in charity work, millions of dollars. He's an icon off the ice. He remains an enigma on it.

He is portrayed as one of the elite players in the game, and a few years ago he was, but now, too often, he isn't even an elite player on his own team. Right now, Vinny has more name than game. He isn't the face of the franchise, hasn't been for a while. This is Marty St. Louis' club going on Steven Stamkos' club. Meanwhile, we wait for Vinny to come around. That's ridiculous. That's inexcusable. It has to stop.

Don't hold your breath.

Vinny is playing exactly the kind of comfortable, content game you can get when you give a nice, not-so-driven guy a no-trade, no-move contract that pays him $85 million and runs through 2020. He is playing like it, or down to it.

He doesn't turn 30 until next month, but we've probably seen the best of his game. Not that his best wasn't something - a Stanley Cup at 24, or 52 goals when he was 27, an Olympian, all that fame and money. But Vinny has been skating around the edges of what he can be for nearly two seasons. I'm not discounting the pounding he has taken, the shoulder surgery in 2008, the wrist surgery in 2009. It might have taken a toll. Something is definitely missing.

The NHL trade deadline is Wednesday. How do we not think of Vinny? I still wonder what would have happened if that all-but-done deal with Vancouver a few years ago, Vinny for goaltender Roberto Luongo, had gone through. Would Luongo have led the Bolts to the playoffs? Would Brad Richards still be here? Would Dan Boyle? It's hard not to think about Vinny, especially at $10 million divided by 15 goals.

He was always at his best when someone or something was pushing him. It was John Tortorella's foot in Vinny's keister, or Vinny realizing the Cup was there for the taking, or it was Richards getting that big new deal. I thought maybe Stamkos' rising star would inspire Vinny, but not so far. Deep down, I think Vinny really cares. It's getting to the deep down that's the problem.

I'm sure he looks at his 40 assists or that he's still 25th in the NHL in scoring and feels good. Vinny isn't one to beat himself up too much. I wonder what he would be like if he was driven like an Ovechkin or a St. Louis. We'll never know.

Vinny teases. His between-the-legs goal this season reminded us of old magic, when he went between the legs to tie the Canadiens in a playoff game during the Cup run. Those nights don't come around much anymore.

We have no idea who's running this team, the general manager or the coach, or if either will be back under new ownership. What we do know is that Vinny and his contract seem a crushing burden, no trade, no move - and no score. The Lightning are on the edge of the playoff picture. No. 4 needs to enter the frame. If not now, when?

Don't hold your breath.