Revamped Bolts have positive vibe

The start of Lightning training camp last season, which featured a roster overhaul, generated excitement with everything being so new.

It wound up being blind optimism, and it led into a disastrous season of turmoil on and off the ice that resulted in a 29th-place finish.

This year, there is more of a cautious optimism after a second consecutive summer makeover. But this time, you won't see Tampa Bay looking to draw any attention to itself or touting the moves it has made, even if there is a positive attitude among the players, who reported to town Saturday.

"There has been a lot of talk that we're happy, and we should be, but the talk is over, it's time to go," Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said. "I think right now we have to curb our excitement to a workmanlike attitude."

But even if the organization isn't looking to draw attention to itself heading into the start of training camp, many at the national level have noticed the moves made by General Manager Brian Lawton this summer.

Pierre McGuire, analyst for NBC and TSN television broadcasts, likes the look of the revamped Lightning, particularly the moves made on the blue line with the additions of veteran Mattias Ohlund, Matt Walker, Kurtis Foster and Victor Hedman to go with Paul Ranger, Andrej Meszaros, Matt Smaby and Matt Lashoff.

"I ran into (Lightning owner) Oren (Koules) at the draft and I told him that they were building things the right way by identifying their deficiencies on defense," McGuire said. "I think they definitely have the potential to be a playoff team.

"... Now, I don't know about home ice because of Washington and Philadelphia, Boston and throw in Pittsburgh, but I think after that it's going to be a scramble, and I do think they are in the mix for those last three playoff spots."

In addition to the upgrades on defense, the team signed free agent forwards Alex Tanguay and Stephane Veilleux and acquired Drew Miller from Anaheim.

Former Philadelphia goaltender Antero Niittymaki was brought in to be a solid backup to Mike Smith, a move that McGuire said is underrated.

"I think he's going to be a lot better goalie thanwhat people saw in Philadelphia," McGuire said of Niittymaki. "Not only is he going to be able to provide a stable backup, but they get somebody who is going to push Mike Smith more, and that will be good for Mike Smith.

"It's all been good, I'm very excited for Tampa Bay this year, it's an important franchise playing in the Sun Belt and a Stanley Cup team not long ago, and I think they can bring the fans back."

It's also brought some enthusiasm back to one of the team's biggest stars.

"I feel really good about this team," four time All-Star Marty St. Louis said. "I think last year we hit the lowest point for this franchise in the past five or six years, but now we are on the way back up.

"The reason I feel that way is the things they have done in the past few months. For me, I feel it's very promising what we can do as a team.

"I look at our lineup and I think we have the depth, the players that we can be successful. If we are not, I will be very disappointed."