Report: Bolts Pursuing Meszaros

The Ottawa Sun is citing sources that have told the newspaper that Lightning owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie have told the Senators that they intend to pursue unsigned restricted free agent Andrej Meszaros if the Senators does not deal him to Tampa. The Hockey News reported a rumor yesterday that an undisclosed team had signed Meszaros to an offer sheet exceeding $5M per year despite a denial by league officials that any formal offer sheet had been filed with the NHL.

Ottawa Senators GM Brian Murray has declared an impasse in negotiations with the 3rd year blueliner who's three-year rookie contract expired this summer. Murray has said that Meszaros has refused a number of multi-year offers in the neighborhood of $3.5M per year.

It has been speculated elsewhere that Tampa has offered Ottawa a package including a roster player and a 2009 1st round pick. However, if the rumors of a team signing Meszaros to an offer sheet in the $5M range are true, Ottawa would receive 2009 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks as compensation. The Lightning currently have two 1st round and two 2nd round picks in 2009, but lack a 3rd round pick which was dealt to Pittsburgh in June for the rights to impending free agent Ryan Malone. The Lightning do possess a surplus of NHL roster forwards, several of which could easily fetch a 3rd round pick.

It's been no secret that the new ownership of the Lightning have been actively pursuing the acquisition of another defenseman to bolster the lack of a veteran blueliner that can log a lot of minutes and play on the squad's top pair after the July 4th trade of Dan Boyle to the San Jose Sharks. However, Meszaros doesn't exactly fit the type of defenseman that Tampa supposedly has been looking to acquire and consuming $5M+ in additional salary would put the team over the NHL salary cap, requiring further roster moves to get the team under the ceiling. Adding fuel to the speculation, reports leaking from inside the Lightning have surfaced reporting that the front office has been working later and more feverishly than usual.