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Canadiens visit Lecavalier, Lightning

Jan 27, 2009 - 2:22 PM Montreal (27-13-6) at Tampa Bay (16-21-10), 7:30 pm EST

TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- With trade rumors swirling, Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier just can't avoid Montreal.

The Montreal Canadiens will visit Lecavalier and the lowly Lightning on Tuesday.

Lecavalier, who leads the club with 21 goals this season, has been the center of trade rumors for months with Tampa Bay trying to rebuild and his expensive contract beginning in 2009-10.

Lightning general manager Brian Lawton has said that the team has no interest in trading Lecavalier.

"It's just a pipe dream that people think we're going to trade him," Lawton told the Edmonton Sun. "I've said he's not going to be traded and he hasn't been traded."

The main destination discussed for the Ile Bizard, Quebec native is the Canadiens, who were Lecavalier's favorite team growing up.

The topic may have reached a peak during the All-Star festivities at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Lecavalier was made a starter at the midseason gala due to Sidney Crosby's injury and finished the game with a plus-4 rating.

Before the All-Star Weekend, the Lightning had won five of their last seven contests. The Canadiens, on the other hand, lost back-to-back games before the break.