Lecavalier Locked Up By Lightning for Life

Michael Farkas | Transactions & Rumors

Jun 25, 06:26 PM | Hype this story!

The Tampa Bay Lightning have locked up their franchise’s best all-time player. Vincent Lecavalier will agree to a nine-year, $77 million contract extension on, or soon after, July 1.

The contract is reported to be staggered and likely front-loaded. TSN suggests that the final year of the contract may only be worth $3 million. The deal is expected to have a no-movement clause in it as well.

Lecavalier, 28, scored 40 goals and 92 points last season as he completed the third year of a four-year, $27.5 million contract. Lecavalier will count against the salary cap to the tune of $6,875,000 during the 08-09 season before the extension kicks it. From 2009-10 until 2017-18 Lecavalier will count for $8,555,556 against the Lightning’s Upper Limit.

Lecavalier was selected first overall in 1998 and holds franchise records for games played (710), goals (273) and points (602).

Comments

  1. Dabich

    Jun 26, 04:53 AM

    Sure hope it doesn’t bite them in the butt down the road!

  2. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jun 26, 08:00 AM

    This seems like a decent deal to me, though I’m not a huge fan of the super-long contracts. Vinny seems to have found his “A” game and has had it for a few years now. He’s one of the few players in the league I would consider to be elite. I’m much more impressed with this deal than the ones handed out last summer to Briere, Drury, and Gomez.

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