Vinny wants it Long Term

"That's my preference," he said.

Feaster and agent Kent Hughes are expected to talk early next week. Neither side expects to file for arbitration.

So sayeth Lightning Notes from the St. Petersburg Times.

Lecavalier's willingness to sign long term will come down to money - just as it did for Nikolai Khabibulin. Nik decided to take the five million extra from Chicago and run (not that the Bolts didn't make an effort in their contractual offerings to retain him).

Meanwhile, in the same column, John Tortorella seems to take the "cry me a river, build me a bridge and get the hell over it" approach with Khabibulin's loss:

"The goaltender will always be the focal point come playoffs and Nik was the best come playoff time last year," Tortorella said. "But I'm not going to disrespect the organization or Nik's teammates by saying that. I've seen how the supporting cast has come along."

...Is this the Tampa Bay Lightning or the New England Patriots?

At any rate, Sean Burke's name is roaming around as a potential signing by the Bolts as competition for John Grahame