TSN in Canada along with the Tampa Tribune and St. Petersburg Times report today Vincent Lecavalier is set to sign a new contract extension with the Lightning that should keep him with the team for the rest of his playing career.

According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie the deal is for nine-years at $77 million, breaking down to around $8.55 million per season against the Lightning’s salary cap although the final year of the deal will only pay him $3 million, suggesting this will likely be a front-loaded deal akin to those signed last summer by Scott Gomez with the NY Rangers and Daniel Briere with the Philadelphia Flyers.

In other words, Lecavalier could see $10-$11 million per season for the next couple of seasons after which it’ll gradually decline.

The deal will also reportedly come with a “no-movement” clause, meaning he can’t be traded or demoted to the minors without his consent, although given Lecavalier’s status as one of the league’s elite forwards it’s not something he’d have to worry about for a long time, if ever.

This deal cannot be officially announced until July 1st as that’s the earliest date the Lightning can re-sign Lecavalier, as it would then be the final year of his current contract. The new one would start in 2009-10.

So much for all that mindless speculation of Lecavalier waiting to sign with the Montreal Canadiens next summer.

Good move by the Lightning’s new ownership to lock up their franchise player to a long-term deal at a price that should make this deal more affordable as time goes on, particularly if as expected Lecavalier remains among the league’s best forwards for most if not all of those nine years.