Erik Erlendsson
Erik Erlendsson covers the Tampa Bay Lightning for The Tampa Tribune.
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Marek Malik to be signed this week
Posted Oct 13, 2008 by Erik Erlendsson
Updated Oct 13, 2008 at 02:39 PM
In need of a veteran presence on the blue line, the Lightning are expected to bring in veteran defenseman Marek Malik on Wednesday and sign the 33-year-old to a one-year contract, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Malik spent the past three seasons with the New York Rangers but appeared in only 42 games last season after falling out of favor with New York head coach Tom Renney. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound native of Ostrava, Czech Republic, is a veteran of 649 NHL games and would bring a stay-at-home physical presence the team has been seeking since the start of training camp last month.
The Lightning’s defense is among the youngest in the league with five of the seven defensemen under the age of 26 and another, Janne Niskala, in his first season in the NHL.
In Tampa Bay’s first three games they have allowed 126 shots on goal, including 46 against Carolina in the home opener on Saturday.
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Reader Comments
Por (Mike Joyce) on October 13, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Erik,
With Ranger returning in the near future, who do you suppose will be shipped to Norfolk?
Suggest removalPor (BillSmith) on October 13, 2008 (Suggest removal)
He may bring some punishing toughness our blue line needs. He is big and experienced. Lets keep our fingers crossed and hope this tweek works.
Suggest removalPor (BillSmith) on October 13, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Mike,
My guess is Niskala goes to Norfolk. He is getting the fewest minutes so far on defense and he dosen’t have to clear waivers and I think he has a two way contract and he is the lowest paid defenseman on the current roster.
Suggest removalPor (Mike Joyce) on October 13, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Bill,
I can see Niskala going, but if the get Ranger back and sign Malik, they will still have one extra defender. Do you think Heward might be the other one to go to Norfolk.
I sure hope that we get Malik. Maybe that way, the opposition won’t be able to take runs at the goalie, like they did Saturday night.
Suggest removalPor (BillSmith) on October 13, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Heward is the logical choice. He will have to clear waivers, and according to the NHLPA website his cap hit is $475,000 (I must have overlooked him before, my bad).
Heward is a servicable defensman along the lines of Pratt, Lukowich or Neckar. He is 37 which works against him here in the youth movement.
Malik is a stay at homer and may be able to add a dimension not currently on the roster. What we have now is not working. Malik can not make us any worse than we are now. Ranger’s return will help also.
Suggest removalPor (Tank) on October 13, 2008 (Suggest removal)
I dont understand why the Lightning do not ask the Sharks to recall Kyle McLaren. His salary is 7.5 MM over three years, so on recall waivers we pay half of the remaining contract, so that would work out to 1.25 MM a year. I would think that he is worth the extra 250k a year over Marek Malik. McLaren is/was considered the best hip checker in the game and he has a nasty streak that Melrose would love… Any reason why Lawton is not interested?
Suggest removalPor (Chris C) on October 13, 2008 (Suggest removal)
They should have thought about the defense in JULY..who is going to give up a top defenseman? O ya we did when we traded Dan Boyle
Suggest removalPor (Kevin Escribano) on October 13, 2008 (Suggest removal)
What about Matt Smaby? Give him a chance before signing Malik!
Suggest removalPor (Dustin Keene) on October 13, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Bet the owners and Melrose wish they had a time machine to go back a few months and make the defense look something like this…
Dan Boyle - Alexandre Picard
Mike Lundin - Matt Smaby
Filip Kuba - Brad Lukowich
Paul Ranger and Shane O’Brien as alts
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