Following up on the report from earlier, TSN's Bob McKenzie has all but confirmed that Martin St. Louis wants out of Tampa.
As outlined in his comments below, Bob believes that St. Louis will only waive his no-move clause to go to the New York Rangers. This development puts Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman in a tough spot, as his bargaining position has been all but destroyed. He will likely fail in his attempt to get full value for the 38-year-old forward.
Mckenzie "my understanding is that St.Louis asked for a trade, still wants a trade and is willing to only go to the Rangers"
— Hope_Smoke (@Hope_Smoke) February 26, 2014Here is exactly what McKenzie had to say on St.Louis: https://t.co/BU75mtMZy8
— Hope_Smoke (@Hope_Smoke) February 26, 2014When Lightning fans laughed off the suggested Callahan-for-St. Louis deal just a few days ago, this whole situation was nothing more than conjecture. Things have changed. With McKenzie saying that St. Louis still wants out and that he is only willing to go to New York, Yzerman's bargaining position is virtually non-existent. Glen Sather has the upper hand here, and it doesn't look like that's going to change.
I'm not going to start speculating about a potential return for the Lightning's all-time greatest player, but I will say that Lightning fans shouldn't get their hopes up here if they're looking for a massive haul. It's not going to happen.
The fact that St. Louis wants out was debated at length in the last thread. Personally, I have a hard time feeling sorry for the player picked last on a Gold medal winning team. Phil Kessel got a car for being picked last in the all-star draft; maybe Marty just wants a brand new Ford automobile.
I've tried to sympathize with St. Louis's position, but I just can't do it. The fact that he's willing to turn his back on his teammates, friends, and the fans who have supported him over the years speaks volumes (negatively) about his character. If he has an issue with Yzerman, that's fine. But the fact that he's willing to let that issue interrupt what has been a very successful season for the Tampa Bay Lightning highlights a level of selfishness that I didn't think we'd ever see from St. Louis.
If a Gold medal wasn't enough to mend his broken heart, it's likely that nothing will be.
As always, thanks for reading.