Excerpts from the Tampa Tribune article by Erik Erlendsson:
In regards to how this has all been handled, it’s shameful. We’ve all seen and heard plenty of Lecavalier to the Canadiens rumors for the past 10 years. Most of them you could just brush aside by some overzealous member of the Montreal media trying to drum up some interest by bringing the subject up.
Nowadays, however, you have to believe this is truly exactly what is going on, that while Brian Lawton isn’t “shopping’’ the star center, per se, but rather he is gauging interest in what the team might receive in any possible trades. This is exactly how the Brad Richards trade went down in February; Jay Feaster was asked to find what offers he might get for Richards, and Richards was eventually moved.
I also find it interesting that in a bit of a spin on his part, Lawton has squarely placed the pressure on Lecavalier to make the call. It’s kind of like trying to absolve himself of any of the responsibility in the matter, saying that if the player is not here at the end of the season, it’s because the player doesn’t want to be here. Well, if Lecavalier didn’t want to be here, why did he sign an 11-year contract just a couple of months ago?
