EVENTS
 Sportsman of the Year
 Heisman Trophy
 Swimsuit 2001

CNNSI.com GROUP
 Sports Illustrated
 Life of Reilly
 Television
 SI Women
 SI for Kids
 Press Room
 TBS/TNT Sports
 CNN Languages

COMMERCE
 SI Customer Service
 SI Media Kits
 Get into College
 Sports Memorabilia
 TeamStore

By Kostya Kennedy

Lecavalier, the youngest captain in the NHL, could be on the verge of stardom. Damian Strohmeyer SI Fast Fact Last season the Lightning played 17 rookies, the most of any NHL team. Defenseman Paul Mara, with seven goals and 11 assists, was the only one of them to get as many as 10 points. SI Insider Rankings Forwards: 27 There are few scorers other than Lecavalier Defense: 26 One of NHL's worst in its own zone Goaltending: 23 Time for Cloutier and Weekes to prove themselves Special Teams: 25 Power play needs a quarterback Management: 27 Ludzik must get Lightning to be more disciplined

You'll have to pardon Lightning general manager Rick Dudley's French, and not because he has a tenuous grasp of hockey's unofficial second language. "After our first day of camp last year, I looked at Ludzy and said, 'Holy s---!'" says Dudley, who, like coach Steve Ludzik, is entering his second season in Tampa Bay. "We had guys slotted as number 3 defensemen who were barely good enough to be number 7s. We knew we needed a miracle to compete."

Dudley and Ludzik did not prove to be miracle workers, as the Lightning sputtered to its second consecutive 19-win season. Through a dizzying series of acquisitions that has left just eight players remaining from last year's opening-night roster, Dudley has given Tampa Bay its fastest team in the franchise's nine-year history. "We put a premium on speed, and it shows," says Ludzik.

New forwards Brian Holzinger, Mike Johnson, Martin St. Louis and Todd Warriner can all burn, as can 20-year-old holdover Vincent Lecavalier, the superbly talented third-year center who is the heart of the franchise. That Lecavalier is the NHL's youngest captain makes sense because, after speed, the Lightning has put an emphasis on youth. Right wing Stan Drulia, 32, and mobile defenseman Petr Svoboda, 34, are the only Tampa Bay players older than 28. "I feel like an ooooooold man," said Svoboda, as he surveyed the locker room last month.

Svoboda's mates on defense are especially green. Pavel Kubina, Paul Mara, Cory Sarich and Andrei Zyuzin all range in age from 21 to 23. That's why the Lightning, despite its newfound speed, isn't on the fast track to success. Last year Tampa Bay allowed 3.73 goals per game, second worst in the league, and it's likely to again surrender too many goals to make a serious playoff bid. Kevin Weekes, 25, who was picked up from the Islanders in the off-season, will share time with 24-year-old Dan Cloutier in net.

The day before the Lightning broke camp this year, Drulia was in the practice facility casually watching a public skate when a young girl executed a flawless pirouette. "Did you see her skate?" Drulia said. "Maybe we should bring her over for a look."

A year ago maybe. This season, at least, that pixie would have a hard time winning a spot with Tampa Bay.

Issue date: October 16, 2000

Click here to look back at CNNSI.com's training-camp previews.

Copyright © 2001 CNN/Sports Illustrated An AOL Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines.