Vinny holds the hammer for possible trades

The Lightning's own version of Groundhog Day has popped its head out of the ground once again.

Just like Punxsutawney Phil, who shows up every Feb. 2 to tell us whether to expect six more weeks of winter based on the location of his shadow, Leaving Lecavalier once again has arrived to let us know if we need to deal with four more weeks of trade rumors.

Doesn't matter the reason, doesn't matter the rationale, Vinny Lecavalier being moved to Montreal or Los Angeles (or New York or New Jersey, etc.) always makes its rounds.

And once again, under the assumption that prospective owner Jeffrey Vinik will move forward with a sale purchase only if he can shed payroll, meaning Lecavalier and the $75 million over the next 10 years remaining on his contract has to go.

When will rumormongers learn? Lecavalier has no intention of going anywhere unless he wants to go. It can be written a thousand times (it likely already has) that the team would like to move Lecavalier.

But to show you what could - and likely would - happen if a new owner approached Lecavalier and said "We want to move you," reach out your arm and make your hand into a fist. Now pound down like you have a hammer, which is exactly what Lecavalier holds with a no-trade, no-movement clause.

And in the long run, what sense does it make to ship away Lecavalier, who is on pace for his third-best season in points in his career. Teams are required to spend to the salary cap floor, which isn't a significant amount below where the Lightning's current payroll rests. So what does that really save in exchange for jettisoning arguably the biggest sports name playing in Tampa right now?

Now, I'm not suggesting it's something that shouldn't be explored at some point. After all, Steven Stamkos is on pace for a 40-plus goal season, has one more year left on an entry-level contract and no doubt will command a significant raise. Defenseman Victor Hedman is two years away from a new deal, and the emerging Steve Downie is up for a new contract at the end of this season.

But for any prospective owner coming in, suggesting to move Lecavalier as one of the first acts could be a sure way to alienate a season-ticket base that already has thinned out the past two seasons. And don't insult the intelligence of the fan base by having the deed done before any transfer of ownership in an attempt to lay cause on a previous regime.

No renegotiating

There has been some reader reaction the past few days in regards to Lecavalier's contract being restructured, as the NFL does with player contracts from time to time.

But the collective bargaining agreement in the NHL does not allow for the restructuring of player contracts. That means the contract remains intact until either the term runs out, the player retires or a team buys out the remaining years of the contract for two-thirds of its remaining value.

Team done with Krajicek

Defenseman Lukas Krajicek cleared unconditional waivers Saturday and officially had his contract terminated. He signed with the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

Krajicek, who was assigned to Norfolk of the American Hockey League in December, left the team earlier in the week while in Hartford, Conn. At that point, the Lightning sent a letter requesting Krajicek return to the team or he would be in violation of the contract, which could lead to the remainder of his one-year, $1.475 million contract being terminated.