Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Yzerman says Lightning would ‘love’ to re-sign Callahan

Ryan Callahan

Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Ryan Callahan celebrates his goal with teammate Sami Salo, during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, March 20, 2014, in Ottawa, Ontario. Tampa Bay won 5-4. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Adrian Wyld)

AP

There are plenty of ways to assess the trade that brought Ryan Callahan to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but one advantage the New York Rangers could boast about was that Martin St. Louis didn’t carry an expiring contract like Callahan. ESPN caught up with Lightning GM Steve Yzerman on Tuesday, who indicated that the Bolts would like to rectify that situation.

“Yeah, we’d love to sign him,” said Yzerman. “He’s a good fit, a good person, a good player, has style of play that really complements our group well; he’s fit in really well. So we hope to sign him. But we won’t talk until after the year.”

The Lightning also grabbed a conditional second-rounder (2014) and a first-round pick (2015) in the trade, but they’d still score some points with fans if they retained Callahan, 29, after having to move their 38-year-old former captain.

If you look at things in terms of mere immediate results, things seem to be going much better for Tampa Bay, at least individually speaking.

Callahan scored his sixth goal in his 14th game with the Lightning tonight, giving him 10 points with his new squad (assuming he doesn’t add more on Tuesday):

Meanwhile, St. Louis struggles with a much-publicized slump; he went to New York with 29 goals on the season and has been stuck there for 14 games. It’s not just bad shooting, either, as he only has three assists. He’ll get his latest chance to turn things around as the Rangers ready for a late game against the Vancouver Canucks tonight.

Again, the early returns favor Tampa Bay. This summer’s negotiations might impact which team is ultimately believed to be the “winner” of the big swap, though.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins