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Sunday, March 02, 2003

By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Alexei Yashin is in the second season of his 10-year, $90 million contract with the Islanders, and it is safe to say New York is not appreciative of the return value.

In 60 games, he has 14 goals and a minus-18 rating. Since Jan. 3, he has four goals. And now, he is drawing the ire of his coaches and teammates. Last week, Peter Laviolette demoted him to the fourth line. And those who share the locker room with him have begun voicing their opinions of his work -- or lack thereof -- in public.

"We're not talking about money. It doesn't matter how much you make," left winger Claude Lapointe told Newsday. "You battle. You do your job. You do things to win hockey games. And he's got to learn that."

No one is more disappointed than General Manager Mike Milbury, although he chooses his words carefully, knowing he is sure to have Yashin on the payroll for the rest of the decade.

"I think he's got more to offer," Milbury said. "He can play better."

Yashin, 29, has kept typically quiet all year, preferring to speak of the team rather than himself.

Thrashers Coach Bob Hartley, never one to hide his feelings, attempted not to trumpet his personal triumph in Atlanta's 4-3 overtime win Thursday in Colorado. The Avalanche fired him Dec. 18 after 4 1/2 wildly successful seasons in Colorado, and he has drawn praise from around the hockey world for the job he has done with the Thrashers. "I turned the page on Dec. 21. My focus is on this group," Hartley told Denver reporters. "We beat one of the hottest teams in the NHL, and this is another good learning experience for our young guys."

Although these appear to be heady times in Tampa, where team officials this week gave the green light to begin printing playoff tickets, Lightning President Ron Campbell also became the latest NHL executive to announce a pile of losses. He told the St. Petersburg Times the team expects to lose $10 million to $15 million, and he forecast that each playoff round would be worth only $1 million. Like other executives, he called for dramatic change in the labor agreement.

Latest indignity for reigning MVP Jose Theodore: The Canadiens benched him in favor of rookie backup Mathieu Garon for a Thursday home game at which the team gave out Theodore bobblehead dolls. Theodore signed a three-year, $16.5 million contract after winning the Hart Trophy last season, but he is 15-24-5 with a 3.01 goals-against average and is growing increasingly unpopular. Garon, by the way, gave up five goals on 44 shots in a 6-3 loss to the Wild.

Throughout a tumultuous season which has included bankruptcy and several convoluted attempts to sell the team, the Sabres stood pat until Wednesday. Then, General Manager Darcy Regier gave up edgy Vaclav Varada for prospect Jakub Klepis, a player he acknowledges is two or three years away. The move shocked a Buffalo room that has seen little change in the past few years and has many concerned they could be next. "I just don't know what to think," Miroslav Satan said. "I thought Varada was bringing certain characteristics and has a certain value to the team. ... We lost a player and didn't get anybody back."

On the other end, the move made perfect sense for Ottawa, a team which for years has lacked the grit necessary to succeed in the playoffs. And it was heartily embraced by Varada: "I'm excited. Ottawa's the best team in the league. I'll try to play my way, do my thing and help the team win."

What does it say about the league's current economic state that one bankrupt team executed a salary-dumping deal -- Varada is making $1.3 million this season, $1.5 million the next -- with another bankrupt team?