"Is defenceman Andrej Meszaros ready to Bolt?

While The Hockey News reported last night on its website that the Senators defenceman had agreed to terms on a contract "in excess of $5 million (all terms US)" per season with another team, two league sources insisted that no formal offer sheet has been filed with the NHL.

Sources told Sun Media last night that Lightning owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie have told the Senators they intend to pursue Meszaros if Ottawa doesn't deal him to the Bolts, but the indications are GM Bryan Murray doesn't feel the least bit threatened.

Based on a yearly salary of $5 million, the compensation for signing Meszaros would be a first-, second- and third-round pick.

Tampa doesn't have its 2009 third-round pick, having dealt to it the Penguins for the rights to Ryan Malone prior to the winger becoming an unrestricted free agent. Malone signed a long-term deal with the Lightning.

"Unless they're going to make a trade to acquire a draft pick, they don't have what it takes to sign him to an offer sheet," said a league executive. "Anything can happen, but nothing has happened yet and I'm not sure anything will."

If Tampa was to acquire a third-rounder and sign Meszaros to an offer sheet, the Senators could simply match the offer and retain the 22-year-old.

Meszaros' agent, Ritch Winter, had no comment last night.

Earlier in day, Murray didn't have a lot of nice things to say about the Meszaros camp.

"There isn't (an update on contract negotiations). We've tried to make presentations with a variety of offers and term," Murray said during a briefing at the Bell Sensplex. "But they've been rejected to this point in time, so there is nothing more. "