Tampa plans Prospal buy out; countdown to reacquisition begins

If nothing else, the Tampa Bay Lightning's front office appears to be learning from their rookie mistakes of last summer. Unfortunately, the Phoenix Coyotes have reached their quota for assuming other teams' bad contracts after taking Radim Vrbata from the Bolts, so Tampa announced it's going to have to buy out the remaining three years of Vaclav Prospal's contract.Prospal's deal last summer is never included with the Lightning's other head-scratchers, but four years and $14 million should qualify. Not for the cap hit, which was a reasonable $3.5 million, but for the four-year commitment to a journeyman enigma who was actually on his third tour of duty with the Lightning. Of course, his status as one of the "Big Three" with Marty St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier earned him trust and loyalty. But Marty had 80 points last season, Vinny had 67 in an injury-riddled year and Prospal managed just 45 and was a minus-20.Damien Cristodero of Lightning Strike...