FanHouse Jay Feaster

Over the next week, FanHouse will preview the top players and teams in next Friday's NHL Draft. This is the second post in a six part series.

Last spring, the lottery balls bounced Tampa Bay's way and they were awarded the first overall pick. Former GM Jay Feaster selected Steven Stamkos with that pick, but has since resigned. His successor, Brian Lawton, has already made his mark on the organization with numerous trades during his first year and will have the chance to further shape the roster with the second overall pick next week.

Tampa Bay GM Jay Feaster said earlier this month that big changes could hit the Lightning if the team didn't improve by Christmas. Well, four days after Baby Jesus Day, the Bolts found themselves in last place in the entire Eastern Conference. Feaster was asked about personnel changes after the team's 4-2 loss to the Flyers; the answer, according to the St. Pete Times, was that they ain't comin':

General manager Jay Feaster said no moves are on the horizon, and that while Oren Koules' OK Hockey group tries to work out a deal to acquire the team from Palace Sports and Entertainment, the Lightning is in a holding pattern. That includes no talk of trading any piece of the talented trio of Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis and [Brad] Richards.

"I think the answers for now have to come from within," Feaster said, "certainly until we get a resolution with the sale situation. The one thing we're not going to do is move the big three. It's just not going to happen."

Actually, breaking up the "Big 3" is a "non-starter," as he told the Canadian Press. What I'd like to know from Feaster is if that conversation can't happen because of a pending ownership change, or if his commitment to keeping the trio together will remain unwavering under a new boss -- even as Tampa Bay looks up at the Washington Capitals in the standings.

All due respect to Richards's minus-40 for the last two seasons and St. Louis's middling trade value and inconsistent goal-scoring, but rebooting the Bolts means trading Lecavalier, even if Feaster steadfastly vows he'll never do it. And I don't think he will make a Vinny deal -- even if he's the only one of the "Big 3" without a no-movement clause -- unless a Lindros-like package is coming back the other way. I hate to give fuel to this unavoidable gnat of a rumor, but if it's a Lindros-like deal that gets Vinny out of Tampa, there's really only one team that matches up well with what the Lightning crave: the Montreal Canadiens.

When the Tampa Bay Lightning faceoff against the New Jersey Devils in Game One of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal matchup tomorrow night, they'll do so without the goalie that started (and won) for them on Opening Night way back in October. Marc Denis won't dress tomorrow night, and not because he's injured or suspended, but because Coach John Tortorella is making Denis a healthy scratch in favor of Karri Ramo, he of the 70 career minutes played in the NHL.

Now, Johan Holmqvist has backed into won the starting goalie job in Tampa, despite a 2.85 goals against average and an .893 save percentage, so Ramo likely won't see any action. But the benching is worth noting because Denis was the player the Tampa brain-trust brought in to be the team's number one goalie this year. In fact, Bolts GM Jay Feaster traded away a pretty good winger in Fredrik Modin, as well as goaltender Fredrik Norrena last June to acquire Denis from Columbus.

The deal has, to put it mildly, been a disaster. A quick look at the goaltenders involved:

• Marc Denis -- 17-18-2, 3.19 GAA, .883 SV%
• Fredrik Norrena -- 24-23-3. 2.78 GAA, .904 SV%

As if dealing a guy who ended up with a winning record and very respectable numbers for the seventh-worst team in the League isn't bad enough, Modin wound up with 22 goals for the Blue Jackets while his former center in Tampa, Brad Richards, never found a winger with whom he was comfortable and ended up with his lowest point total since 2001-02 (his second year in the League) and a woeful minus-19 rating, transforming the Lightning into basically a one-line team.

But I'm sure Denis won't be in civies for too long for Tampa. After all, he's signed through 2008-09.