News: St. Petersburg Times 3/31/98
Tucker Near Agreement To 4-Year Deal
By Tom Jones
Darcy Tucker says the Lightning will make the playoffs next season. He
says it as if you can take it to the bank.
And if the Lightning does make it, Tucker will take it to the bank. Tucker
and the Lightning are down to final details of a deal that would keep the
pesky center under contract for the next four seasons.
General manager Phil Esposito said he thinks the sides had an agreement
in principle, minus a few minor items.
The contract, which could triple his salary from about $225,000 a year
to nearly $700,000, would be loaded with incentives but none would kick in
until the Lightning made the playoffs.
Tucker, the third-lowest-paid player in the NHL, had little comment Monday
about the negotioations, and his agent, Carlos Sosa, spent most of the day
in bed with a flu bug that has bitten several players. Sosa met with Tucker
over the weekend in Montreal.
Esposito was confident Tucker would sign within days. "I think we've just
about agreed," Esposito said. "I faxed him a contract with the numbers
we talked about, and we'll see."
Back To News | Back To Main