Fansided

One free agent every NHL team should sign this offseason

By C.L. Kohuss

NEWARK, NJ - APRIL 18: Patrick Maroon #17 of the New Jersey Devils heads out to play against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Prudential Center on April 18, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - APRIL 18: Patrick Maroon #17 of the New Jersey Devils heads out to play against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Prudential Center on April 18, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 15: Ian Cole #23 of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Brett Connolly #10 of the Washington Capitals battle for the puck in the first period in Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena on April 15, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 15: Ian Cole #23 of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Brett Connolly #10 of the Washington Capitals battle for the puck in the first period in Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena on April 15, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Tampa Bay Lightning: Ian Cole, Defenseman

There is so much scoring depth on this team that it’s frightening. From Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos to Brayden Point and J.T. Miller, the Tampa Bay Lightning don’t need more offense.

One area they did struggle in though was on the penalty kill. We already mentioned a couple of times how largely the Penguins’ penalty kill struggled once Ian Cole was traded away. And there were a few teams that wanted him before he was sent to the Columbus Blue Jackets. So he would add pretty good value to a club that ranked 28th when down a man. He also won’t break the bank at $2 million to $3 million and could slot in as a bottom-pairing defenseman with five spots already under contract.

With J.T. Miller a restricted free agent and having put up 58 points between Tampa Bay and the New York Rangers, the Lightning will need budget adds to help keep them contending. They only have $12 million in room, if the cap goes up. They also have backup goaltender Louis Domingue as a restricted free agent, or they could possibly look for an upgrade. Though again, money is a problem.

A player like Cole is a nice small add that pays dividends in the long run. He won’t give more offensive firepower, and he’s never going to win a Norris Trophy over Victor Hedman, but special teams can be the difference between winning a playoff series and losing one. At the moment, the Lightning are at 73 percent on the penalty kill through this postseason. That has to improve.

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