Esposito: "Don't trade Vinny for money"

TAMPA - The concern in Phil Esposito's voice was palpable.

The Lightning founder, who selected Vincent Lecavalier with the first pick in the 1998 NHL draft, spoke Tuesday about his fear that Tampa Bay is about to trade its captain and franchise cornerstone for all the wrong reasons.

"I wanted Vinny to be our Stevie Yzerman, a top guy who would remain with the organization his entire career," said Esposito, who serves as the Lightning's radio analyst for home broadcasts. "You treat a player like that with loyalty and respect because you know all the other players are watching. It's not Vinny's fault that they're overpaying him. Vinny has kept his mouth shut through all this turmoil."

Co-owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie met this morning with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to determine who has authority over hockey operations. Bettman decided Koules will continue to have final say in the team's directions, which means rumors will continue to swirl that Lecavalier will be traded at this weekend's draft in Montreal.

"Vinny didn't have a very good year by my standards, but he also didn't have anyone to play with," said Esposito. "He absolutely does not want to leave Tampa. He didn't donate $3 million to a St. Petersburg hospital so he can leave."

Lecavalier's 11-year, $85 million contract extension goes into effect when free agency begins July 1, the same time his no-trade clause kicks in.

"If they deal Vinny, it's strictly money, period," Esposito said. "It can't be spun any other way. If you think you're making your team better, fine, but don't trade Vinny for money. I've been there. It's the wrong thing to do. Besides, if the Lightning get three players for him and they turn out to be decent, in two years you'll be paying them more then you're paying Vinny. It makes no sense."

The Lightning own the No. 2 overall pick in the draft and crave Victor Hedman, a hulking Swedish defenseman with rare skills. But if Hedman is off the board, Esposito believes Tampa Bay will likely select John Tavares and deal Lecavalier.

"Vinny's still only 29," Esposito said. "He was drafted to be the face of this franchise. You couldn't do it with (inaugural pick) Roman Hamrlik because Roman didn't speak English very well. You couldn't do it with Chris Gratton because Gratton wasn't good enough. Looking back, Vinny has fulfilled that role very well over the years."