Yep, it's back, another round of speculation suggesting Vincent Lecavalier might be playing his final season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Much of it centers around Lecavalier's apparent unhappiness this season adversely affecting his performance. It's been suggested he no longer trusts the Lightning front office, and with Steven Stamkos emerging as a star the Bolts might no longer need Lecavalier as they once did as their offensive leader and franchise player. 

All of this is merely speculation, possibly stirred up by columnists looking for something to write about given the lack of trade activity at this point in the NHL season.

Whether or not you choose to believe the speculation there are three significant factors preventing Lecavalier from being dealt this season; his "no-movement" clause, his expensive contract, and the NHL salary cap. 

It's widely believed last season Lecavalier was close to being dealt but a disagreement between the club's owners prevented such a move. Regardless, it was easier to move him last season as he didn't have a movement clause.

Sure, his whopping 11-year, $70 million-plus contract with a movement clause would start this season but Lecavalier was a hot commodity last season and the Bolts ownership could have moved him without his permission to any club they wished. 

Not this season. Lecavalier controls his destiny now and he decides not only if he'll agree to a trade but also chooses the destination. 

It's suggested the Montreal Canadiens, NY Rangers and LA Kings - the three team reportedly interested in him last season - might be interested again if he's shopped, but no one knows for certain if they're where he'd want to go. 

Even without that movement clause, Lecavalier's contract - worth over $7.7 million per season until the end of the 2019-20 season - would be almost impossible to move. 

The last time a high-salaried player was traded during the season was in 2005-06 when the Boston Bruins shipped Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks. The reason is that it's very difficult to try to find another team able to take on such a salary. 

The NHL salary cap has had a significant impact upon the trade market, resulting in a predictable cycle. From the start of the season in early October up to the holiday trade freeze in late December little real trade activity occurs and what does usually involves players earning salaries of less than the league average (currently around $2.1 million). 

From January until the official trade deadline (usually either the last week of February or the first week in March)is when activity ramps up and the number of trades increase, although the bulk of those usually occur in the last 48 hours leading up to and including trade deadline day.

Historically those trades usually involve players in the final year of their contracts who more often than not are eligible for unrestricted free agency the following July, and typically those players are dealt from non-playoff clubs seeking to dump salary to playoff contenders looking for a quick roster fix, which often doesn't work.

In short, big-salaried players with movement clauses in the midst of long-term contracts aren't dealt during that period. 

From the trade deadline until the end of the playoffs in early-June there's no trade activity. The market doesn't heat up again until late June, usually around the time of the June entry draft weekend, and lasting until around mid-July. 

That's because by that point teams know what the next season's salary cap will be and how much money they'll have to work with. That's also traditionally the time when players like Lecavalier can be successfully dealt as there are usually some teams with extra cap space and a willingness to either spend it on free agents or by acquiring a big, expensive star player. 

The most recent example occurred last June when the Montreal Canadiens acquired Scott Gomez and his seven-year, $7.37 million per season contract from the NY Rangers. 

From mid-July until late September trades usually occur with more frequency but also usually involved lesser salaried lesser lights. 

In other words, if - emphasis on that word - the Lightning were to trade Lecavalier, don't expect it to occur during the season but rather around late-June or early July.