The Tampa Bay Lightning have traded captain Marty St. Louis to the New York Rangers in exchange for Ryan Callahan, a first round pick in 2015, and a second round pick in 2014. The 2014 pick turns into a first rounder if the Rangers make it to the Eastern Conference Final. In addition, there are two conditional picks at play. If Callahan re-signs with the Lightning, Tampa will send a 2015 second rounder to New York and receive a 2015 seventh rounder. This is, to state things simply, a huge move for the franchise.
Rep. terms: #TB gets Ryan Callahan, 2015 1st-round pick, 2014 2nd-round pick. #NYR get Martin St. Louis & conditional pick if Call re-signs
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) March 5, 2014It’s interesting to note that so many are considering Callahan to be the big prize here. Common sense says that’s not the case. While Callahan is certainly a good, even great player, the Lightning likely aren’t interested in paying him north of six million dollars over a six or seven year term. The big prize here is the package of picks, and specifically that 2015 first rounder.
Some will immediately say that the Lightning don’t need picks or any more young players. If that’s true, Yzerman can now use two first round picks in what is considered to be a stellar draft (2015) as tradable assets. There’s a lot of value there. And, of course, there’s always the very real possibility that Yzerman and head scout Al Murray make the most of those picks by using them at the draft too. The point here is that the Lightning traded an aging veteran for more youth. If the future was bright before, it’s basically the sun now. Don’t look directly at it.
At the end of the day, this is all you need to consider. The Lightning got a hell of a return for a player who demanded a trade to one team, and one team only. Ryan Callahan will be a serviceable player for the Lightning down the stretch here, and the picks will be used to bolster what is already an incredible crop of young players. While some fans may be emotional about the loss of St. Louis, the franchise’s all-time greatest player, the pain will go away. This was a good move for the franchise. The player wanted out, and Steve Yzerman took care of the situation. It’s hard to ask for much more from a general manager.
Before completing this blog, I’d like to take a moment to thank Marty St. Louis for providing every Lightning fan with hours of entertainment over the years. While I vehemently disagree with his handling of this situation, I do appreciate all that he did for the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. I may have lost some respect for the individual over this, but I will always have the utmost respect for the player. Marty is one of a kind.
As always, thanks for reading.