Kind of interesting that the day that rumors flew all over the Internet the Penguins might have interest in Marty St. Louis by the March 4 trade deadline, the Lightning right wing had a game to remember against the Maple Leafs with four points in the first period, including his 20th goal of the season.

So, what are we to make of this talk? Well, for one thing, it's just talk. No one from the Penguins was listed as being at the Times Forum to watch the game, though that probably doesn't mean much since teams know what St. Louis can do. It's not like the Lightning would ever give up St. Louis easily and St. Louis has a no-trade clause. In other words, take everything you hear or read about St. Louis being on the move with a grain of salt.

That said, there are a lot of reasons the Penguins would want St. Louis. He works like crazy. He produces at crunch times. He commands respect and can be a leader in the locker room. He also might be a nice fit working with Sidney Crosby. Word is out of Pittsburgh that Crosby wants a winger for the stretch drive, and GM Ray Shero is a big St. Louis fan. But St. Louis has some fans in Tampa as well, including owner Oren Koules. In fact, St. Louis, given his still-potent production, is a valuable member of this organization. His contract also goes down to $4-million next season which makes him pretty affordable.

I guess, even if the Lightning was open to trading St. Louis, it would have to weigh whether the Laval, Quebec, native, next season, at 34, will be as valuable on the ice. Or, is it better to get whatever it can for him while his value is still so high. One thing is certain, if St. Louis is dealt by the March 4 trade deadline, it better be a win for Tampa Bay. After Vinny Lecavalier, St. Louis is the fans' favorite. Someone floated the name of defenseman Ryan Whitney and a prospect as part of the rumor. Not nearly enough. Maybe Whitney and center Jordan Staal and some prospects; something to make sure the fans think the team got value back. Because, again, this team is going to have to sell tickets for next season, and with likely a second straight season without the playoffs, it needs something with which to market.

Look, who knows how serious this all is. There is going to be a lot of rumors going around as the deadline approaches, and a lot of it is going to be focused on the Lightning; you know, being that it is a distressed property, and all. And if you want to really start inventing something, consider the three teams most often mentioned as having interest in Lecavalier -- Montreal, the Rangers and Edmonton -- were listed on the St. Pete Times Forum seating chart for Thursday's game. Have fun with that.