The rumour mill has finally come to a stop and all Vincent Lecavalier is thinking about is helping the Tampa Bay Lightning pursue the second Stanley Cup in franchise history.
The non-stop chatter of Lecavalier being traded to the Montreal Canadiens dominated the headlines since the trading deadline and continued right up until July 1, when the non-movement portion of Lecavalier’s contract kicked in.
“I haven’t heard much since,” said Lecavalier, the first overall selection in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. “I love Tampa and that’s why I committed to the team for so long. I’m happy to be back for another year and hopefully for the rest of my career.
“It was talked about a lot in the summer, but until it happens, they’re just rumours.”
While he didn’t want to put too much stock into the pre-season, Lecavalier is encouraged by some of the pieces the Lightning added during the off-season, including veteran defenceman Mattias Ohlund, forward Alex Tanguay and second-overall pick Victor Hedman.
“It’s looking good,” said Lecavalier, who had 29 goals and 67 points in 77 games last season. “We’re a lot deeper, especially defensively. There’s a lot of new guys who are going to help the team and make a big difference. Of course, we’re confident. We’re playing well in the exhibition games and getting to know each other on the ice. We’re still a week away but we’re getting better every game.
“We have the same goal as 2004, which is to win (the Stanley Cup). The guys here are hungry to do that, but first of all we have to make the playoffs and then go from there.”
Lecavalier’s first priority is the Lightning, but he couldn’t hide his enthusiasm when talk turned to the prospect of him representing his country in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics.
“I want to be part of that Canadian team for sure,” said Lecavalier. “There’s a lot of great players on that team. For me to make that team, I need to think about it and it’s going to motivate me to be better for the Tamba Bay Lightning.
“We’ll see what happens, but it would great to be part of that team.”
While the off-ice woes and ownership battle between Oren Koules and Len Barrie often dominates the headlines, it hasn’t served a distraction for the Lightning players.
“Honestly, we don’t talk about it,” said Lecavalier. “It’s something that’s been going on for a long time. Our mindset isn’t about where the ownership is going. It’s about where the team is going on the ice. It’s not about anything else. I’m sure all of that stuff will be resolved soon.”
