UPDATED Meszaros Dealt To Lightning For Trio

Andrej Meszaros has inked a 6-year deal with new team Tampa Bay. Read below for yesterday's trade information.

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Andrej Meszaros is the latest addition to the revamped Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Lightning acquired the restricted free agent from Ottawa after Sens GM Bryan Murray admitted to media yesterday that he and Meszaros were 'a long way apart' in contract negotiations.

It appears that the Lightning were considering offering Meszaros a 1-year offer sheet worth $5 million, but couldn't do so because they would have had to give a 1st, 2nd and 3rd round pick to Ottawa as compensation should Meszaros have signed; the problem with that being that Tampa no longer owned its own 3rd round pick, the Penguins do.

The Lightning therefore dealt defencemen Filip Kuba, Alexandre Picard and a 1st round pick acquired from San Jose to the Sens in exchange for the 22 year old.

Meszaros was drafted in the first round, 23rd overall by Ottawa in 2004. He developed quickly playing alongside such stalwart defenseman as Wade Redden and Chris Phillips. He will now be counted on to provide all-around defensive presence in Tampa, all the while anchoring the powerplay with the departure of Dan Boyle to San Jose.

More rumors are already surfacing suggesting that the Lightning are close to signing Meszaros to a 6-year, $4 million/per extension.