Word just got out that it was Tampa Bay. Following a frantic Friday which included talks of offer sheets, numerous names thrown about as trade bait and the possibility of another team entering the equation as part of a three-way deal, the Senators and Lightning finally came to a consensus.
The Senators traded Meszaros to the Lightning for defencemen Filip Kuba and Alexandre Picard, with a first-round draft pick - while saving a few dollars in the process.
When talk originally surfaced of the Lightning presenting Meszaros with an offer sheet in excess of $5 million per season late Thursday, it was unlikely the Senators would match the offer. The Senators would have been content with the first, second and third round draft picks in 2009 that the Lightning would have been forced to cough up for raiding the Senators of a restricted free agent.
However, that Lightning plan hit a snag because the club had previously traded away their third-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins. While it's believed the Lightning tried to re-acquire the third-round selection on Friday, they were rebuffed by the Penguins.
It's quite possible that Lightning owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie as well as their GM Brian Lawton did not realize you need to have the necessary draft picks on hand when you make an offer sheet.
