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Tampa Bay Lightning reportedly eye offensive D Marc-Andre Bergeron

mabergeron

James O’Brien

The Tampa Bay Lightning have a lot of talent. Obviously, there is Steve Stamkos and Martin St. Louis along with the on-the-mend French Canadian duo of Simon Gagne and Vincent Lecavalier. They also boast a decent amount of talent on defense, with 2009’s second overall pick Victor Hedman joined by Pavel Kubina and Mattias Ohlund.

Apparently, they aren’t especially happy with their defense when it comes to power play quarterbacking, though.

The team often employs the crafty forward St. Louis on the man advantage, but if well-founded rumors are correct, GM Steve Yzerman & Co. are looking to amend that by adding a specialist. Damian Cristodero reports that PP point generator Marc-Andre Bergeron’s agent Paul Corbeil claims that the team has serious interest in his client.

As with most late-to-the-party free agents, there is a catch, though.

“He’s one of the best defensemen on the power play in the NHL,” Corbeil said.

Bergeron also is coming off summer knee surgery. Corbeil said his client will be examined next week and could be cleared to start practicing with a team by the beginning of December. In other words, Bergeron’s inclusion in any lineup, as Corbeil said he is talking to several other teams, is not imminent.

“I’d say they are serious,” Corbeil said of the Lightning. “They are doing their homework about Marc-Andre, and I am doing it about them. I think it would be a good match.”


Bergeron certainly brings some skill to the table. He crossed the 30-point threshold three times in his seven year NHL career and has one other season with 46 points, his career high. He’s also French Canadian, which one would assume would help him fit in on the Lightning.

That being said, he does have knee problems and while he can quarterback a power play, he’s gone through much of his career garnering criticism for his defensive play. It might be weeks before this flirtation even turns into anything substantial, but if it does, we’ll pass along news about this new relationship.