The Tampa Bay Lightning has traded defenseman Andrej Meszaros to the Flyers for a second-round pick in 2012. The Lightning will clear $4 million of cap space for next season and take $18.25 million off its future payroll obligations.

It is the first trade for general manager Steve Yzerman as the Lightning's new general manager.

Meszaros, one of the last pieces of the permutations of the disastrous Dan Boyle trade, has been a huge bust. One of the nice guys and tough as nails, he had six goals and 17 points last season and was minus-17. In two years with Tampa Bay he had eight goals and 33 points, which did not come close to justifying his salary.

And here is something interesting to consider. There has been some sentiment out there that the Lightning might have an interest in free agent defenseman Paul Martin, but only if Martin was willing to settle for, say, a three-year deal and stay at the same $4.5 million salary he made last season. Funny, but that is about how much salary space Tampa Bay would clear with a Meszaros trade.