The Tampa Bay Lightning just cant seem to get away from this rumor: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tomas Kaberle may be available, then again, he may not be. We have been down this road before. He has "almost" been traded probably more then any other current player. His no-movement clause has gone on a summer vacation, not to return until this Sunday at midnight.
There is no question he is an elite defenseman, someone who will improve whatever roster he joins. So why would the Lightning be interested in this type of player and why now?
To answer this question, we need to look at where the team is at now. Obviously there has been a lot of good that has been done this summer with this roster. (On paper) it's fair to suggest that the Lightning could finish anywhere from 6th to 10th in the East.
The next question: How far away is this team from making a significant, deep playoff run, and how would adding a Tomas Kaberle change that if acquired? Kaberle is an elite puck moving defenseman, who can anchor a teams blue line. Looking at the Lightnings defense, a puck moving defenseman is still an area of need, (with all due respect to Pavel Kubina) so adding a Kaberle would address a need.
Here is where it gets tricky, the cost.
This article appears in Aug 5-11, 2010.