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Anton Stralman could be useful to the Ottawa Senators

By James Reeve

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 4: Anton Stralman #6 of the Tampa Bay Lightning plays the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at the Scotiabank Arena on April 4, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 4: Anton Stralman #6 of the Tampa Bay Lightning plays the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at the Scotiabank Arena on April 4, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Ottawa Senators are beginning a full rebuild ahead of the 2019/20 season and adding some experienced veterans will go a long way to moving it along.

The majority of players expected to suit up for the Ottawa Senators next season will be fairly young or inexperienced, so adding some veteran contracts to help guide the way can greatly help with the organisation’s process.

The Senators appear to be looking to build from the blueline, with Thomas Chabot a stud in the NHL already and Erik Brannstrom looking to be a lock in the team’s top four before too long.

Their search for a head coach is also showing the team’s trend towards building from the defence, with defensive-minded coaches such as Jacques Martin being interviewed by Pierre Dorion.

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While the team’s rebuild will rely heavily on their young prospects, having some veterans to support and mentor them could be something worth considering – especially with the Sens needing to spend this summer to sit above the cap floor.

That could pave the way for a player such as Anton Stralman to join on a potential two-year deal.

The Sens have a number of left-handed defencemen already in their system, but they are lacking on the right side of the blueline, with Stralman being a perfect candidate for the bottom pairing – potentially even playing top-four minutes should the team require it.

The 32-year-old has 749 regular season appearances under his belt in the NHL, a wealth of experience that has seen him playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and most recently with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In 47 games this past season with the Lightning, Stralman averaged over 20 minutes of ice time, registering two goals and 17 total points.

Stralman blocks a lot of shots, averaging over one per game across his career, with 71 blocks this past season, while also using his 5-foot-11, 190lbs frame to work with 59 hits.

His many years in the NHL will be enticing to a number of teams around the league this summer, with the Swede almost certainly leaving Tampa due to their extremely tight cap situation.

With Stralman turning 33 just a month after free agency begins, he could only expect teams to offer him a shorter term deal, with some teams potentially willing to give him up to three years.

For the Ottawa Senators, however, a low-cost two-year deal should be all that the team is willing to offer, with their young prospects expected to become mainstays by 2021.

Adding a guy like Stralman could pay dividends, giving the Sens’ prospects some strong mentoring while also giving the team a reliable blueliner.

Signing Stralman could see someone like Cody Ceci moved on as a result unless Ceci is willing to take a team-friendly deal that won’t handicap them in the long-term.

dark. Next. Sens to interview Patrick Roy

What do you think Sens fans? Would you be happy to see the team bring in someone such as Stralman? What other free agents do you think the team have a realistic chance of signing? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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