What Steve Yzerman has been up to since accepting the job as Tampa Bay Lightning GM

I thought that a recap of all that’s gone on so far since GM Steve Yzerman was hired might come in handy. So, here we go. This is accurate as of the time of publishing. (10 am Eastern, July 26^th, 2010.)

By the way, is it just me, or do the Lightning have a lot of guys named Steve or Steven on this team or what?

May 25^th – Lightning name Steve Yzerman Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations & General Manager

May 28^th – Sign draft pick D Mark Barberio

June 8^th – Pat Verbeek becomes member of pro scouting staff

June 10^th – Guy Boucher is hired as head coach

June 16^th – Qualifying offers made to RW Steve Downie, C Blair Jones, RW Martins Karsums, D Mike Lundin, D Vladimir Mihalik, RW Teddy Purcell, D Paul Ranger, LW Juraj Simek, C Paul Szczechura, C Nate Thompson

June 25^th – RW Brett Connolly is picked 6^th overall in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles

June 26^th – D Brock Beukeboom (3^rd rnd; 63^rd overall), D Radko Gudas (3^rd rnd; 66^th overall), D Adam Janosik (3^rd rnd; 72^nd overall), D Geoffrey Schemitsch (4^th rnd; 96^th overall), C/RW James Mullin (4^th rnd; 118^th overall), C Brendan O’Donnell (6^th rnd; 156^th overall), D Teigan Zahn (7^th rnd; 186^th overall) are picked by the Lightning in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles

June 30^th – LW Todd Fedoruk is bought out of his contract

July 1^st – RW Martin St. Louis signs a 4-year contract extension

July 1^st – D Andrej Meszaros is traded to Philadelphia for a 2^nd round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft

July 1^st – LW Mitch Fritz re-signs

July 2^nd – D Pavel Kubina signs

July 5^th – D Brett Clark is signs

July 6^th – D Mike Lundin & RW Teddy Purcell re-sign

July 15^th – C Blair Jones re-signs

July 16^th – Julien Brisebois is hired as Lightning Assistant General Manager & General Manager of the  Norfolk Admirals (AHL)

July 16^th – C Paul Szczechura re-signs

July 16^th – C Nate Thompson re-signs

July 19^th – D Matt Walker & a 2011 NHL Entry Draft pick are traded to Philadelphia for LW Simon Gagne

July 20^th – Daniel Lacroix & Martin Raymond are hired as assistant coaches

July 23^rd – Norfolk Admirals head coach Jim Johnson & goaltending coach Cap Raeder are fired

July 23^rd – Wayne Fleming is hired as an assistant coach

July 23^rd – C Marc-Antoine Pouliot signs

July 25^th – LW Chris Durno signs

Wow. Busy so far, huh? And to think, Yzerman’s not done yet.