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Report: Struggling Lightning not ready to be sellers

Monday, 03.11.2013 / 12:33 PM

By NHL.com Staff -  / 2013 Trade Deadline blog

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2013 Trade Deadline blog
Report: Struggling Lightning not ready to be sellers

The mindset of the Tampa Bay Lightning at the NHL Trade Deadline is a topic now being addressed with more regularity.

Inconceivably, the Lightning sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings -- eight points adrift in both the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference -- thanks, in large part, to a 4-13-1 streak that has all but erased memories of their rather torrid start to the season.

Yet, general manager Steve Yzerman still believes his club has the goods to develop into a Stanley Cup Playoffs-caliber team.

"I think we are doing a lot of things the right way to win games," Yzerman told the Tampa Bay Times. "Our coverage in our own zone, we're improving upon. The results aren't showing up in wins and losses, but we are hoping if we stick with the process, that will start to show -- and we are hoping sooner rather than later."

His outlook, at least for now, is not to be a seller at the deadline, which falls April 3.

"I wouldn't say add; I'd say improve," Yzerman said. "We'll certainly explore that. It's certainly early, but we are not going to start trading draft picks and young players for [potential unrestricted free agents] to bolster our lineup. I'll be looking more for real trades for players that can fit into our lineup and be with us for an extended period of time."

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