R&R: Another Bolt Gone

If you haven't heard the news, either you've been on the moon or you're not a hockey fan. Both of those seem crazy to me. But it is true. Nikolai Khabibulin, one of the top three reasons the Lightning won the Cup, has signed with the Chicago Blackhawks. It's a very sad day for Lightning hockey fans. Especially myself.

How could anyone want to leave a team he won a championship with? After everything he'd been through with that team, turns out what he really wanted was money. Players like that make me crazy. Yesterday I talked about how I won't miss Andre Roy, now that he's in Pittsburgh. I'm not sure I can say the same about the "Bulin Wall."

We got Nik as a free agent as the 2000-01 season was winding down. He refused to sign a new contract with Phoenix because he wanted more money than they were willing to give him. More than anyone was willing to give him. He played in the minor leagues for the entire 1999-2000 season before realizing he wanted back in the NHL, no matter what the pay.

The Lightning eventually signed him to a contract after acquiring his rights from Phoenix as part of a trade involving Paul Mara and Mike Johnson. He had been away from the league for nearly two years, playing only two games in that 2000-01 season. His next three seasons proved a triumphant return culminating in a Stanley Cup victory.

Now he's back to demanding more money. And this time, wearing that championship ring, he's more worth it. Especially to the Blackhawks. It's a shame, but it's what happened.

Hopefully the Lightning will be able to find someone equal to the task of replacing him but even if they don't, I think John Grahame will be able to handle the pressure. He proved that in the Bolts' Cup run.

Obviously I had a lot to say about Khabibulin, but he wasn't the only guy to change teams today. Below is a list of other notable signings.

• Paul Kariya will become a Predator after year in Colorado;


• Tony Amonte left the Flyers behind to join Calgary;


• Jason Allison agreed to a deal with Toronto after a few years with the Kings;


• Darren McCarty ditched Hockeytown for a few years with the Flames;


• Martin Straka signed with the Rangers, leaving Los Angeles;


• Brad May will join the Avalanche now that he's departed Vancouver;


• Jim Dowd is bound for the Windy City after a term with the Canadiens;


• and Martin Rucinsky will be moving to Manhattan after leaving the Canucks.

And just like I've been reporting every day, not everyone is signing elsewhere. Brendan Morrison of Vancouver, Tie Domi of Toronto, and Igor Ulanov of Edmonton re-upped with their respective clubs.

Finally, there's just a little more Tampa Bay news. The Lightning re-signed Nolan Pratt along with minor/draftee players Brandon Elliott, Brady Greco, Timo Helbling, and Mitch Fritz, who stands 6-foot-8, 260 pounds. To put it another way, he's enormous. Remember what I said yesterday about replacing Roy?

Speaking of replacement, there are more than a couple good choices to replace the newly departed Khabibulin between the pipes. Buffalo's Martin Biron. Florida's Roberto Luongo. Dan Blackburn or Mike Dunham from the Rangers. Philadelphia's Sean Burke. Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff. Chicago's Jocelyn Thibault. Colorado's David Aebischer. Detroit's Curtis Joseph. LA's Roman Cechmanek. St. Louis' Chris Osgood. Vancouver's Dan Cloutier. And most of all, Montreal's Jose Theodore.

They're all very available. The favorites are Luongo, Kiprusoff and Theodore.

In that order.




Gone With The Wind   Nikolai Khabibulin is a Bolt no more. The sad news came down from Chicago today. Fours years. Twenty-seven million. What a dope.