Brian Lawton understandably tried to get me off the scent, but if you saw in my Friday for Saturday notebook at the Draft, the former player agent and No. 1 North Stars pick was seen with these very two eyes meeting with Len Barrie and Oren Koules, the new Lightning owners, in the back of a restaurant.

And this was not lunch because it was 2:30 p.m., the restaurant was closed and the only people still in the restaurant were me, Jeff Rimer, Bobby Orr, and the man known as JR, the Blue Jackets’ traveling secretary.

And, Barrie and Koules had already eaten earlier.

Today Lawton was hired as the Lightning’s Senior VP and Director of Hockey Operations. Jay Feaster, the GM, remains employed, but that has a lot to do with the three years left on his contract.

Lawton left the agent business this past season to pursue a career in management with a team. He was weighing a handful of offers this week and decided upon Tampa.

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