I can’t put into words what the past seven days have been for me. Actually, it’s been the past two-plus weeks, truth be told. I was quietly enjoying some time away with the wife’s family in Northwestern Ohio, monitoring things from afar. I watched the NHL Awards show, writing about Vinny Lecavalier’s King Clancy Trophy for his Humanitarian work. I finished off a nice Steven Stamkos feature (at least, I think it was a nice story, but I’m biased). Then I started to gear up for the NHL Entry draft in Ottawa. It was going to busy, for sure, with the ownership situation being approved (something I had to write on the way to Cleveland, including the reacquisition of Vinny Prospal) in order to catch a pre-dawn flight to Ottawa on Thursday morning. Little did I know, that was the calm before the storm.

Draft weekend was busy, with Stamkos going first overall. Day two of the draft was uneventful until the selection of David Carle with Tampa Bay’s last pick in the draft. The next morning, I got on a plane in Ottawa to return to Cleveland, where I was picked up at the airport and immediately started heading south toward Tampa. I conducted my first interview with new owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie by phone from the parking lot of a Fairfeld Inn in Wytheville, Virginia. The next day was a 13-hour-day in the car to get home by 10:45 p.m. on Monday, which means I missed the press conference where Koules and Barrie were introduced to the area.

On Tuesday, Barry Melrose was introduced as the new head coach. On Wednesday, word leaked of a pending $77 million contract extension about to be signed by Vinny Lecavalier. On Thursday, I tagged along for a brief while for Steven Stamkos’ first trip to Tampa. The next day, I caught up with Stamkos again and wrote a story, reading for a relaxing weekend before free agency began.

Midway through a day at Busch Gardens, I got word the team was about to announce a deal. Once I found out it was to acquire Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts, well, needless to say my day ended sooner than expected. On Sunday it was all about chasing down the negotiation process, especially after word of a seven-year, $31 million deal with Malone was reached. Later that Sunday night, it was Brian Rolston’s rights that were acquired. So the Monday before free agency began, it was all about tracking down how talks with Rolston were going while getting official word on the signings of Roberts and Malone.

Tuesday, otherwise known as hell day, was spent first tracking all the team’s signings (or non-signings in Rolston’s case) for the website, then trying to put it all together. Wednesday, as my wife and kids headed for an early movie, I was busy trying to figure out the team’s next move while getting word that Ryan Craig and Janne Niskala were signed to new contracts.

On Thursday, it was the Dan Boye stuff breaking and today was today.

And here’s the thing, it’s not over.
There is at least one more signing to do on defense (Jason Smith anybody?) and the grapevine is suggesting another forward will be dealt (Jokinen? Ouellet?) that will bring in another second round pick in next year’s draft.

And though I’ve been told the weekend will be quiet, I’ll believe it when I hear the silence!

In the meantime, to help me get through the next couple of weeks before I totally disappear to a remote place where no cell phone tower exists, can somebody please send me a keg of Keith’s? A pint of Rickards White? A bottle of Sam’s Summer Ale? Heck, I’d settle for a can of Cherry Coke Zero at this point