The biggest Free Agent deal signed on this list; the Lightning had a glaring need for a player like Anton Stralman. The Lightning struggled with finding stability on the right side of their defensive group and especially were looking for a player who could pair up with Victor Hedman.
The Swedish defenseman filled the void and then some. The stay-at-home defenseman proved to be the ideal partner with Hedman on the Lightning’s top defense pair. Stralman signed for five years at $4.5 million annually and was worth every penny because he could be counted on after a period when the Lightning faced regular turnover of their defensive core.
While expected to be a more defensive defenseman, Stralman’s first season in Tampa Bay saw him reach a career-high 39 points. Stralman’s experience and dependability on the back end helped play a key role in several deep playoff runs with the Lightning. Though his time with Tampa did not result in a Stanley Cup, Stralman’s contributions cannot go unnoticed in helping solidify the Lightning’s previously unstable defense.