Two days after defenseman Kurtis Foster said he was disappointed in the pace of contract negotiations with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and one day after general manager Steve Yzerman said he wouldn't mind having Foster back, Tampa Bay lost Foster to the Oilers for a two-year deal at $1.8 million per year.

Yzerman said on Wednesday that he believed Foster would get a contract elsewhere too rich for the Lightning to match. Apparently that was the case, though it was not immediately clear if Foster's side contacted Tampa Bay to see if they could get close. Foster had said he would give the team a hometown discount.

The loss makes the Lightning's search for a defenseman that much more acute. Foster was a powerful force at the high slot on the power play, a position that is not easy to fill. The team has been speaking to the agent for defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo, but there has been no resolution there.

Yzerman said getting a defenseman who can help on the power play could be a long-term process during the summer because "I do not want to overpay." We'll see how creative he can get.