Lightning Strikes: Silly rumor (Tampa – Montreal)

Habster:

Here is an exerpt from a Tampa Bay Lightning blog which states the obvious about the ridiculous trade rumour that was started by Team 990’s P.J. Stock on November 7th (Wednesday). Looking back, I partly regret posting this rumour (Team 990) but I did dismiss it as bunk with various reasons why but it’s still fun to debate/discuss these rumoured trades, isn’t it?

November 09, 2007

Silly rumor

The call from a breathless reporter in Montreal came during the third period of the Lightning’s game Wednesday against the Panthers. A report in Canada claimed Tampa Bay was working on a trade that would send Brad Richards and Andre Roy to the Canadiens for struggling wing Mike Ryder, minor league goaltender Jaroslav Halak and wing Andrei Kostsitsyn.
Believe it or not, there was a Canadiens scout at the game, and he admitted he had watched the Lightning and Panthers play in Florida on Monday. But he said he had never heard of such a deal and was simply taking a swing through the Southeast division.
It seems you have to believe the part about him not knowing about such a trade because it just doesn’t seem to make sense for the Lightning which was supposed to give up Richards, its second-line center and one of its alternate captains for Ryder and Kostsitsyn who between them have just 11 points, and Halak has 16 NHL games to his name.
I’m sure the potential new owners of the franchise would love to have to fill that kind of hole in the roster.
And why would Tampa Bay give up Roy without getting muscle in return? The team still needs his physical presence. Yes, defenseman Shane O’Brien can fight, but you don’t want one of your top-four defenseman taking on an enforcer role. Nor do you want third-line center Chris Gratton.
And what if Tampa Bay gets Halak? Does Marc Denis and his $2.8-million salary get sent to the minors? It would make more sense if the Lightning told any potential trade partner: you want one of our superstars, you have to take Denis as well.
I’m not going to get into talking about all the rumors you hear, but it is worth taking a second, sometimes, to figure out why these things seem to make so little sense.