The clock is ticking for the Tampa Bay Lightning to sign Ryan Callahan to a contract extension before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Even so, GM Steve Yzerman seemed optimistic about that prospect, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
“We still have some time,” Yzerman said. “We’d really like to keep Ryan in the organization, and we’re going to continue to work. I’d like to get a deal done before he reaches free agency.”
Yzerman said he’s had some “really good discussions” with the versatile 29-year-old.
There are some interesting competing forces at play here for Yzerman.
On one hand, he might feel some added pressure to ink Callahan because he was a key piece in the Martin St. Louis trade, even though the Lightning also netted two first-round picks for their trouble.
There are some significant risks to signing Callahan, however … particularly long-term.
- The Lightning are bursting with an array of up-and-coming young talent, especially at that forward position. The likes of Tyler Johnson, Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat and Jonathan Drouin are affordable now, but if Callahan wants a longer deal, second or third contracts could present added challenges down the line.
- It’s reasonable to wonder if Callahan would be worth a steep price in Tampa Bay. His do-everything, shot-blocking style worked well when John Tortorella was running the Rangers ship, but his 2013-14 season didn’t go well. Injuries certainly factored in, yet he went pointless in the playoffs and only managed 36 points in 65 games between the Rangers and Lightning. Those aren’t unacceptable numbers, yet they don’t exactly scream “big, long-term investment,” either.
- Speaking of injuries, players approaching their thirties tend to be more injury-prone to begin with, but those risks only increase with guys who put their bodies on the line like Callahan does.
Ultimately, it would likely come down to finding the right compromise, which might be difficult in a small window of time (Yzerman’s optimism notwithstanding).
In seemingly even less likely Lightning re-signing news, the Tampa Bay Times also reports that Yzerman said that Anders Lindback is “in the mix” to get a new deal. That’s a bit surprising considering the fact that the big goalie’s been a flop in Tampa Bay – especially in being swept by the Montreal Canadiens – yet the Lightning gave up a significant set of assets to nab him via a trade, too.
