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Lightning’s interest in re-signing Callahan is mutual

Tampa Bay Lightning v Pittsburgh Penguins

Ryan Callahan

Justin K. Aller

Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman and head coach Jon Cooper have both been vocal about their desire to re-sign Ryan Callahan.

With the dust still settling on the Lightning’s 2013-14 campaign, Yzerman hasn’t actually started to negotiate an extension with the former New York Rangers captain yet, but Callahan will be interested when the time comes.

“You want to be on a team where the organization is going in the right direction,” Callahan said. “You can definitely see that they are doing that here, with the amount of young talent. The future does look bright.”

Tampa Bay acquired Callahan as part of the package that sent Martin St. Louis to the New York Rangers. Callahan had six goals and 11 points in 20 games with Tampa Bay following the trade.

He’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and if Tampa Bay wants to keep him, they’ll probably have to be prepared to pay top dollar. It’s believed that the 29-year-old forward’s contract demands were what led the Rangers traded Callahan in the first place. Just a couple days before he was dealt, Callahan was reportedly asking for a six-year deal worth $6.5 million to $6.75 million annually.

You can watch Callahan’s full exit interview below:

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