An interesting little side note on the contract the Tampa Bay Lightning gave associate coach Rick Wilson is that it is for three years, when the rest of the coaching staff has two years remaining on their deals.

Couple of things at work here. Three years is kind of the standard for coaches, especially for one with 20 years experience. In a way it would have been more unusual for Wilson to get less than three. Another factor was that Wilson had two years left on his deal with the Stars, so sweetening the deal for Wilson was important.

"It was what was needed," Lightning GM Brian Lawton said.

Sweetening the deal for Wilson, too, were the upgrades the Lightning made on defense. That is key for Wilson since he is going to primarily work with the defense.

"I heard about it when Brian first contacted me," Wilson said. "He indicated they were going to upgrade the quality and depth of the group. In the process of us talking, that continued to add up with what he said was required to stabilize things and help the turn of the club. So, it wasn't who or what or how many. It was the turn."

Asked if he was excited be in on the building process, Wilson said, "That's a natural thing and I'm really looking forward to it. I had a great run in Dallas and we did a lot of good work with a lot of different people, and I am very respectful and thankful to that organization. I hope I have the same opportunity (with Tampa Bay). I see a lot of similarities. Some of their top players have a combination of youth -- players like Modano and Hatcher -- and a combination of older players like Vinny (Lecavalier) and Marty St Louis who have enough to continue to lead them."

Wilson will be reuniting with an old friend, Lightning goaltenders coach Cap Raeder, who worked with Wilson with the Kings in the late 1980s and early '90s. Wilson said he spoke to Raeder about the opportunity with Tampa Bay.

"We chatted and I called him about it, and we had some good visits regarding Tampa Bay. He was a good resource," Wilson said. "He was just one of many in my visits with the organization genuinely excited about the turn of the turning of the team; not looking past the challenge but understanding where they're at."

Where is Wilson with coach Rick Tocchet? Sounds like they are on the same page.

"You're talking about a gu who won the Stanley Cup (with the Stars in 1999) and has coached defense for a number of years and has coached in pressure situations," Tocchet said. "That's important. It makes me feel comfortable that they guy has been there before, and his overall philosophy, generally, is what I agree with and that is that defensemen have to play positional hockey."

"I'm optimistic that it's a good fit," Wilson said. "It is a team that is on a turn. It's hit a tough spot here, but in my opinion, it's on the way up, and it's got some excellent young players. Certainly the defensive core has been stabilized, so I'm excited to work with the coaching staff."