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Goalie fix? Lightning ink Riku Helenius

Steve Yzerman

While the Tampa Bay Lightning’s defense needs some serious help in its own right, Dwayne Roloson’s 2011-12 implosion showed how glaring the Bolts’ hole is in net.* GM Steve Yzerman doesn’t exactly seem enthralled by the free agent market, either ... at least in North America. Renaud Lavoie reports that the team signed Riku Helenius to a two-year deal today.

Lavoie reports that the two-year deal begins as a two-way contract in 2012-13 and then becomes a one-way one in 2013-14. He’ll register a $600K cap hit when he’s at the NHL level, with a $550K salary in 12-13 and $650K in 13-14.

This isn’t the first time the Lightning franchise and Helenius have been connected. They selected him with the 15th pick of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, so it’s likely he’s been on the Bolts’ radar for some time. Judging by the one-way nature of the second season, it’s obvious that the Lightning plan for him to at least be a backup within the life of the contract.

Yzerman might have even bigger hopes, though.

* - Seeing Mike Smith enjoy a borderline-Vezina campaign with Phoenix reinforced both ideas, by the way.