Vinny excited about new additions, Bolts

Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier's thoughts understandably have been preoccupied of late, filled more with 3 a.m. feedings and diaper changes than hockey.

But during the past month, following the birth of daughter Victoria on May 3, Lecavalier has watched from afar as Tampa Bay has undergone an extreme makeover in the hiring of GM Steve Yzerman and head coach Guy Boucher.

Considering the events of the past two years, when things played out like a soap opera, Lecavalier is encouraged by what's taking place with the only franchise he has known since entering the league in 1998.

"I'm very, very excited about what is happening with this organization from new ownership, to a guy like Steve Yzerman, who knows where he is going," Lecavalier said. "He's got a plan, he's an honest person and comes from an organization of winners over the past 20 years and he will bring that mentality.

"And for him to bring on somebody like Guy Boucher, somebody who I've heard great things about over the past couple of years, I think it's just going to be a great chemistry with those guys and with the players."

One of Yzerman's first acts was to get with Lecavalier for face-to-face discussion. Perhaps paramount was putting Lecavalier's mind at ease regarding where he fits in with the team's plans. It was a meeting that had the intended effect.

"We had a great discussion about what has happened with the past couple of years with the trade rumors. ... After the conversation, I came out of the room and was just really happy," Lecavalier said. "I'm happy to be a part of the Tampa Bay Lightning and to have a conversation with Steve Yzerman and how honest he was. It was just a really good conversation and I came out happy and excited for next year."

It's certainly a far cry from the past two seasons when Lecavalier was hounded by trade rumors and other outside distractions that seemed aimed at putting the 30-year-old center in an uncomfortable position. His play on the ice showed as he scored just 53 goals and 137 points the past two seasons, compared to 92 goals and 200 points the previous two years.

Now he said he feels like it's a new start for himself and the organization.

"You don't have that, and I wouldn't say it was a distraction, but the past couple of years you just hear stuff and I wasn't sure what was true and what wasn't," he said. "And it was a lot of drama for, not just talking about me, just a lot of drama. So I think it's a fresh start for everybody, for this organization and they are doing it the right way.

"They are hiring the right people, good people, and I think that's a great start."