Bolts Shore Up Defense On First Day of Free Agency

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The Tampa Bay Lightning continued the retooling of their suspect blue line with three signings on the first day of free agency.

Tampa Bay re-signed defenseman Lukas Krajicek. Krajicek led the Lightning in points and blocked shots by a defenseman.

After that seemed like a good move, the Lightning weren't done yet.

The Lightning followed up that move with their biggest of the day, securing veteran defenseman Mattias Ohlund to a seven-year $26.25 million dollar contract.

The 32-year-old Swede was signed as a mentor for first round draft choice Viktor Hedman. Ohlund, 6-foot-2, 227 pounds, has skated in 770 career NHL games, all with Vancouver.  He has amassed 93 career goals and 325 points with 36 power play goals and 19 game-winning goals. 

He was second on the Vancouver Canucks in plus/minus with a plus-14 rating last season.

Tampa Bay wrapped up day one with the signing of gutty former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Matt Walker. The 29-year-old signed a four-year deal at $1.7 million per season. Walker brings a much needed aggressive defensive attitude to the Bolts. He's a tough checker, clears out the front of his net and is a plus defenseman.

"Matt is the big, physical, intimidating presence that we lacked on the blue line last season," said Brian Lawton in a Lightning press release. "He is a high-character, team-first player and he demonstrated that last season, going right back in a playoff game after suffering an ugly, ugly broken finger. He is just the type of player that we were looking for to fill a specific defensive need." 

All in all a good first day for the Lightning along the blue line.

The Lightning will likely focus on finding a solid back up goaltender and perhaps a top six forward if funds remain available.

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