NHL

Nesterov spent the past three season playing in the KHL after the Lightning drafted him in the fifth round in 2011. Nesterov had one assist, 14 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating in 35 regular-season games for Chelyabinsk Traktor this season.

"Our group will change, how dramatically I'm not prepared to say yet, but we'll explore options as far as improving the areas we feel need to be addressed," Yzerman said. "We have players coming up from Syracuse (of the American Hockey League) next year that will have an opportunity to make this team. So, things will be different; they need to be different." The Lightning had the two top scorers in the league, with Martin St. Louis winning the Art Ross Trophy and Steve Stamkos finishing just one point behind him, but they failed to make the playoffs. New coach Jon Cooper is expected to have a say in the personnel moves after assessing the team after he took over for Guy Boucher.

The Tampa sniper felt he hyperextended his knee slightly on a hit he put on Florida defenseman Filip Kuba late in the third period of Saturday's finale. He will fly to Sweden Tuesday to play for Canada at the world championship.

Stamkos ended up with 29 goals and 57 points in 48 games. He lost to Alex Ovechkin, who scored a surreal 24 goals in his final 29 games.

St. Louis finished the season with 17 goals and 60 points in 48 games. "When the hope of getting in (the playoffs) goes away, you try to finish strong and play the right way, then a couple of things happen along the way. Obviously, Sidney getting hurt. Then you find yourself in a situation that you can do something cool," St. Louis said. "It's something that nobody can take away from me. It's in the books." He broke the record established by Gordie Howe when he won the Art Ross Trophy at the age of 34 in 1962-63. St. Louis is obviously showing no signs of slowing down and could average about a point-per-game in 2013-14.

The 37-year-old concludes the season with 17 goals and 60 points, which is three better than his teammate Steven Stamkos. He is the oldest player to ever win the Art Ross Trophy. Ryan Malone and Matt Carle had the other goals. Vincent Lecavalier, Teddy Purcell, Victor Hedman and Stamkos had the helpers.

Lindback has given up nine goals over that span, making 27 saves on 31 shots Saturday. There are some good pieces in Tampa Bay -- it really needs to shore up its defense, though.