Lightning awaiting sale confirmation to negotiate with Boyle

Carter Gaddis of The Tampa Tribune reports that Tampa Bay Lightning GM Jay Feaster’s top priority is to sign impending unrestricted free agent defenseman Dan Boyle to a contract extension.

“Clearly,” Feaster said, “our objective organizationally is to get Danny re-signed.”

Fueling the Lightning’s desire to sign Boyle to a new contract before his current deal runs out is the thought that if the blueliner hits free agency, he could command as much as the five-year, $30 million deal Brian Rafalski received from the Detroit Red Wings.

“While I don’t like to negotiate contracts during the season, in this instance, we’re going to make an exception,” Feaster said. “Because circumstances, I think, dictate that. It’s not in our best interest to let Danny hit the unrestricted market, and we know that.”

Negotiations aren’t expected to take place until the sale of the Lightning to Absolute Hockey Enterprises is confirmed sometime in December, however.

As for Boyle’s take on his situations, the defenseman says that while he may be tempted to test the free agent market, re-signing with the Lightning remains a viable option.

“Yeah, there is temptation [to test the free-agent market], but there are a lot of factors,” Boyle said. “I want to win. Money is obviously a factor, but I want to be on a winning team. If the contract’s going to be a longer contract – now, you’re seeing four-, five- and six-year deals – if it’s going to be longer, I want to make sure I’m in a spot where it’s a team that’s going to compete for the Stanley Cup.”

“I love it here. I’ve been here for five years. I’m certainly not going to rule out signing here, you know?”

Boyle tells Damian Cristodero of the St. Petersburg Times that he plans on leaving all contract talk to his agent as he wants to concentrate of taking care of business on the ice.

“I’m going to let my agent do his job. I don’t want to be talking about it all the time.”