Scoring depth stil a major concern for Bolts

As the Lightning get set to enter the Olympic break smack in the middle of the playoff race, it's difficult at times not to think about where this team might be right now had it not been for a few players jettisoned away.

As the 2009-10 season has progressed, one of the biggest missing elements to Tampa Bay's game is a lack of scoring depth. For the most part, the Lightning's offense has been carried by three players - Steven Stamkos, Marty St. Louis and Ryan Malone.

Early in the season, Malone and Stamkos took the offense on their shoulders. Lately, it has been Stamkos and St. Louis. At various points, captain Vinny Lecavalier has chipped in but oftentimes has been inconsistent, with only 15 goals, although he does have 40 assists. Alex Tanguay has not lived up to his $2.5 million contract with nine goals and 32 points.

Of late, Steve Downie - who happens to play on a line with Stamkos and St. Louis right now - has picked up his offense.

After checking out the league stats, one can't help but wonder: Had Jussi Jokinen, Radim Vrbata and Vinny Prospal remained with the team, would the Lightning be higher in the standings?

Jokinen leads Carolina with 21 goals and is second with 46 points. How nice would that kind of production look right now? Let's also factor in Tampa Bay's seven shootout losses this season, as the Lightning's shooters are a combined 4-for-26 in the skills. Jokinen is 4-for-7 for the Hurricanes.

I completely understand that success with Carolina this season would not necessarily translate to success with Tampa Bay. After all, Jokinen was 3-for-9 in shootouts last season with the Lightning and he had just six goals and 16 points in 46 games in 2008-09 before being traded to Carolina.

But I'm not sure Jokinen was ever viewed as somebody who could help this team. Or maybe the thought was his salary was too high for a third-line type player; after all, Jokinen was waived twice last season.

Here's the kicker, however. There is nothing remaining from that Jokinen deal.

Tampa Bay received D Josef Melichar, RW Wade Brookbank and a fourth-round pick from the Hurricanes, which was later dealt to Toronto as part of a salary dump that sent injured players G Olie Kolzig and D Jamie Heward to the Maple Leafs for D Richard Petiot.

Carolina, meanwhile, has received production that would look very good for a team in the playoff hunt.
Same goes for Vrbata, who is contributing on a team that looks to be a lock for a playoff spot. Vrbata, shipped back to Phoenix for D David Hale and LW Todd Fedoruk during the summer, has a team-high 20 goals for a Coyotes team sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference.

Last year, Vrbata never seemed comfortable, and perhaps his wife going through a difficult pregnancy had a lot to do with his poor showing. That might be why he finished last season playing in his native Czech Republic. But the Bolts had no intention of bringing him back with two years left at $6 million. Hence the trade.

Then there is Prospal, who was bought out of the final three years of his contract after attempts to trade him proved fruitless because he wouldn't agree to waive his no-trade clause. Now with the Rangers, he has 13 goals and 45 points, the same point total he had with Tampa Bay last season, which would place him fourth on the team in scoring right now.

No doubt salary concerns played into some, if not all, of those three players being sent away. But wouldn't at least some of that production be welcome around here right now?