Vincent Lecavalier has done a lot for hockey in the state of Florida and the Tampa Bay Lightning. In addition to being an offensive threat, “Vinny” has been a leader, a fantastic ambassador to the game and a charitable individual in the community. Truly, these are all things teams want in hockey players. Over the course of his career in a Lightning jersey, Lecavalier has shown that he can be much more than just another warm body on the bench. With 842 career points, the 32 year old forward from Quebec is one of the truly great players to ever wear a Lightning jersey.
Unfortunately, not all is well in the minds of many fans when it comes to the man who wears number four. In the summer of 2008, Lecavalier, fresh off campaigns in which he put up 108 and 92 points respectively, signed an eleven year deal to keep himself in Tampa through 2020. The Lecavalier signing was a monumental moment for the Lightning as a franchise; finally, the team had shown fans and enemies alike that it was willing to spend money to keep a big time asset. The number? $85M.
At the time, the contract looked big, but it didn’t look like a monster. As mentioned, Lecavalier was fresh off two great offensive campaigns. Locking up an asset like Lecavalier just seemed to make sense, at the time. Unfortunately, circumstances change and all of a sudden, that same contract looks like a ridiculous albatross.
Lecavalier is scheduled to make $10M per season through 2016. Since signing the contract, he has put up annual point totals of 67, 70, 54 and 49 respectively. Any sane hockey mind would indicate that said production is not worth $10M per season. With that, it becomes hard for Yzerman to even consider trading Lecavalier; simply put, the market for him and his contract just doesn’t exist.
All that said, Lecavalier does bring a lot to the Lightning and the community. Fans identify with Vinny and all the great moments he has given them over the years. He’s a Stanley Cup winner, a genuinely nice person and one of the greatest offensive forces Tampa hockey has ever seen. However, times are changing for Mr. Lecavalier and if he wants to continue to be a difference maker, he is going to have to accept that.
With Steven Stamkos now leading the Lightning’s offensive engine, Lecavalier has been forced to settle into his second line center position. The question plaguing many fans is: can Vinny still be a help to the Lightning in a reduced role? The answer to that question is a resounding yes. Nobody is asking Lecavalier to come out next season and score 100+ points. Realistically, that’s just not going to happen. However, is it too much to ask that a player with his unique combination of talent and size puts up 75 points per season? Really, it’s not.
Accepting his secondary role on this new-look Lightning team is paramount for Lecavalier if he wants to have future success with the Lightning. Steven Stamkos is the offensive driver of this team now; Lecavalier has to accept that. Late last season, upon returning from injury, fans started to see a transition in Vinny’s game that indicated he was finally ready to settle into his new role. If fans are lucky, next season will bring more of the same.
All in all, there is definitely a place on the Lightning roster for Lecavalier. While he is most certainly over-paid, despite all the intangibles he brings on and off the ice, he still holds a very important position within the Lightning community. If Lecavalier settles into his new role, the Lightning will certainly benefit in many, many ways. Despite his contract, this player could help form one of the top center cores in the league. With Stamkos and Lecavalier leading the Lightning into the future, this analyst is confident that many great things are on the way.
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
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