Despite stringing together wins before Christmas, December hasn't been a great month for the Lightning. They were winless in eight of their first nine games this month, including three shutouts.

Yet, in the middle of it, GM Brian Lawton could look at the standings and still find his Lightning in the playoff mix. It supports his theory that it's not hard to stay in playoff contention in today's NHL. There's a salary cap, there are three-point games and there's parity: The trifecta that keeps everyone around.

"That's the world we're living in," he told Sporting News.

But Lawton's goal isn't to stay in the group of teams fighting for eighth place. He doesn't want to hang around in the middle. He's trying to build an elite team.

Lawton looks at what Chicago, Pittsburgh, Washington and, now Los Angeles, have done the past few seasons and sees a blueprint.

Nowhere in that blueprint is there a section for long stretches of mediocrity. Instead, it's lose big, build a foundation, then challenge for a Stanley Cup.

With finishes at 30th and 29th place, Tampa certainly has the losing down.

"You get some rewards from that, the way the system is set up," Lawton said.

The rewards have been significant. They have one of the game's best young goal-scorers in Steven Stamkos and the anchor of their defense for the next decade in Victor Hedman.

It's a great start, but those guys aren't enough. As painful as it sounds for Lightning fans, the losing needs to continue.

But it gets worse.

If Lawton wants to rebuild the team the right way, and some day join the Blackhawks, Penguins and Capitals at the top, captain Vinny Lecavalier has to go.

Right now, his contract is threatening to suffocate any legitimate chance at success for Lawton's plan. It's not necessarily the $7.7 million annual salary cap hit, although that's a hefty number. It's the cash that he's owed. Every year until 2016, Lecavalier gets $10 million. It's way too much money for a franchise that's already struggling financially.

Factor in his lack of offensive production, and he's a luxury the Lightning can't afford.

"I just don't see how you can make it work with the amount of money you're paying him," former Tampa Bay GM Jay Feaster told Sporting News. "It's a $10 million cashout for a player who isn't playing as the best player on the team… when you put that much money into a forward, he has to be a 50-60-goal a year guy."

Lawton conceded that, when production doesn't match payment, it makes things harder for him.

"Anytime you have a piece that's not playing up to the value… whoever the player is, it puts an extra strain on what you're trying to accomplish," Lawton said.

And it's more strain than the Lightning can handle. The good news is that Lecavalier is showing signs that his play is improving. Through Wednesday, he had three goals and seven points in his last five games.

Coach Rick Tocchet has seen a better commitment from Lecavalier in the defensive zone and more willingness to go to the middle of the ice, where Lecavalier has to play to be successful.

"You can tell he's starting to get in better position to score goals," Tocchet said. "If he continues to do that, he's too good a player not to get out of it."

He's on pace for 20 goals and 53 assists — which would be more points than he had last season.

But it's not $10 million worth. Not even close.

"Yeah, goal-wise, things haven't gone in as much as a couple years ago," Lecavalier told Sporting News Today. "But I'm starting to feel like it's coming around. My instincts are back… I want to finish strong."

And so do the Lightning. The only hope they have of moving that contract is if Lecavalier shows glimpses of the player who once scored 52 goals.

Yes, he's got a no-trade clause and likes life in Tampa. He's made a strong connection with the fans of Tampa, and there would be a huge backlash if he left — no small consideration in a non-traditional market without a long tradition of winning hockey.

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He's donated millions to the All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, so much that one wing, the pediatric cancer and blood disorders center, bears his name. He's been the face of the franchise since he was a teenager.

"You have to at least factor that in," Feaster said.

And you do. But if Lawton can somehow convince Lecavalier that a trade is the best move for all parties involved, he'd remove the biggest obstacle standing in the way of future success in Tampa. And it could be real success, not NHL parity generated success.

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