Lightning sign Ohlund
by James Mirtle on Jul 1, 2009 11:16 AM CDT
in Free Agency
7 comments
As per Kevin Allen.
Well, it took all of 15 minutes for the first real signing of July 1, and it's a bit of a surprise. The Lightning have inked Mattias Ohlund to a deal that will see the veteran Swede likely suit up alongside his young countryman Victor Hedman and nurture the No. 2 overall pick through his early years. No word on the term yet, but I'll have it when it's available.
Ohlund's still a very effective defenceman in a No. 2 or 3 role, but likely commanded a large salary and is going to be 33 in September. He joins Andrej Meszaros, Paul Ranger and Hedman as signed blueliners on Tampa.
TSN is reporting it is a seven-year deal for just $3.75-million a season, which makes it one of those deals that will extend past Ohlund's likely retirement. Expect that loophole to be exploited a lot today and tomorrow.
"We are thrilled Mattias elected to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning today," said GM Brian Lawton. "With so many options in front of him, having him elect to play in Tampa demonstrates the faith he has in our team's strategy and vision for success, which should be exciting for our fans. This signing accomplished two primary goals for us. First, we have added the top-two defenceman we coveted to lead our blue line and second, we have found a leader and a mentor for Victor Hedman as he prepares to play in the NHL this fall."
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Smart move by the Lightning. The cap hit is very reasonable, and because he’s under 35, if he chooses to retire before the contract is up, they’re not on the hook for any of it.
"Without good hard work, it is impossible to reach the pinnacle of success." - Anatoli Tarasov
by PRC on Jul 1, 2009 11:40 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
what the—? Do the Lightning suddenly have some semblance of a decent defense?
Good for them!
by eac on Jul 1, 2009 11:50 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Sad to see Ohlund go, he’s been a vastly under-rated dman during his time with the Canucks. I’m going to miss his battles with Iginla.
I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.
by Smoboy41 on Jul 1, 2009 11:51 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I always get a kick out of these “15 minutes into free agency signings.” Come on, did that entire process really take 15 minutes? I call bullshit.
SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there)
by Doogie2K on Jul 1, 2009 12:02 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
For some of these guys it’s easy.
Compare numbers. Sign.
"Without good hard work, it is impossible to reach the pinnacle of success." - Anatoli Tarasov
by PRC on Jul 1, 2009 12:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Then halfway through the season, they realize this team isn’t going anywhere.
I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.
by Smoboy41 on Jul 1, 2009 12:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good move to look after Hedman that way. Expecting a talented youngster to learn on his own is nearly always a bad idea.
Clearly they learned from their forward splurge of last year. :-)
"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams
by Baroque on Jul 1, 2009 12:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
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