Bolts notes: Wallace claimed from Islanders

 For the fourth consecutive game day, the Tampa Bay Lightning made a roster move. This time, however, general manager Steve Yzerman added a player instead of subtracting one.

The Lightning claimed F Tim Wallace off waivers from the New York Islanders hours before Tampa Bay faced off against the Winnipeg Jets in a key divisional matchup. Wallace, who will wear No. 20, is expected to meet the team in Pittsburgh today.

The 27-year-old forward, who can play center or wing, has appeared in 55 career NHL games with Pittsburgh and the Islanders, registering three assists and 18 penalty minutes. In 304 games in the American Hockey League, Wallace has 75 goals, 137 points and 294 penalty minutes, with 20-goal seasons the past two years.

With the recent trades of C Dominic Moore and RW Steve Downie, plus the loss of C Vinny Lecavalier to a broken hand, the Lightning are short on forwards.

"We've liked him. He's played 30-something games in the NHL this year and all our reports on him were positive,'' Yzerman said. "We think he's a guy who can come in and contribute for this year. …He's a gritty guy. He's a strong and competitive guy. We thought he'd be able to help us down the stretch.''

A native of Anchorage, Alaska, Wallace grew up playing with Lightning center and Anchorage native Nate Thompson, who is excited to reunite with his childhood friend.

"We all have friends back home that we played with, and he's one of them, so I've known him for a very long time," Thompson said. "(He's) one of those guys you grow up with and we both made it (to the NHL), a life-long friend, so I'm happy to have him here. He's a big body, he hits like a truck and he's willing, if need be, to drop the gloves, and is a good all-around player.''

Ohlund has surgery

Veteran D Mattias Ohlund had surgery on his right knee Thursday at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio to help alleviate pain, officially ending hope he might return this season. Yzerman said the surgery went well and there were no complications.

Ohlund has not played this season after having arthroscopic surgery on both knees in October. The 35-year-old has not skated since late November, but he has worked with the team's training staff in an attempt to get back on the ice.

But last weekend, Ohlund said, his right knee swelled up and he began limping to the point that walking his dog became a painful experience. The procedure essentially puts in a new surface on the knee to prevent bone-on-bone rubbing, according to team medical trainer Tom Mulligan.

The surgery is as much about giving Ohlund a pain-free life as trying to salvage his career.

"It came to a point where we can't see it getting any better than it is … and this is the worst it's been,'' Ohlund said. "I think the hope is to play hockey again, but to get there I have several steps that I have to go through, and the first one is to get better at the normal stuff, the rehab stuff. Then it would be working out, so there are several steps to take.

"Clearly, my hope is to play hockey again. It's going to be a challenge but nobody has told me it's not possible.''

Nuts and Bolts

Neither D Marc-Andre Bergeron (back) nor Lecavalier are on the trip with the team. … RW Teddy Purcell played in his 250th career game. … Winnipeg RW Antti Miettinen, who signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent on Dec. 12 but was claimed on waivers the next day, had zero goals and four assists in 27 games with the Jets entering Thursday.