With free agency behind us, one move that wasn’t widely expected was the Lightning’s acquisition of goalie Dennis Hildeby from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Tampa Bay sent forward Nick Paul to Toronto along with two draft picks 

Paul had been a mainstay for the Lightning since joining the team, but after dealing with injuries last season, his role started to change. His penalty-kill minutes dropped slightly and it was also likely that younger players would absorb more of his five-on-five minutes starting next season.

“We could see where the lineup was going, that his role was probably going to diminish within our roster,” said Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois. “Timing was probably right for him to get a change of scenery, and for us to go in a different route with players that maybe complement some of the guys we have.”

Paul will join former Lightning teammate Darren Raddysh who signed an 8-year contract with Toronto ahead of the July 1 deadline.

Adding a goaltender wasn't at the top of the Lightning's priority list entering free agency, but when BriseBois learned Hildeby became available, he didn’t hesitate to make a move.

“We said, ‘Okay, that's something that's worth exploring’ because he's 24 and did really well this year at the NHL level, has a track record of doing really well at the NHL level, has size, has a profile of goaltender that (goalie coach) Frantz Jean really appreciates,” said BriseBois.

“We just think he's ready to be an NHL backup, and then you factor in that he's only going to get better and he's on a great contract for the next two years, there’s a lot of value there.”

Jonas Johansson has served as Andrei Vasilevskiy’s backup for the past three seasons, but his production dipped last year. He posted a 3.29 goals-against average and .888 save percentage in 25 appearances after recording a .895 save percentage the previous season. Injuries also became a factor, as Johansson suffered late-season setbacks in each of the past two years that kept him out of the lineup, shifting the responsibility to Brandon Halverson.

At 24 years old, Hildeby gives Tampa Bay a younger option behind Vasilevskiy and someone the organization believes can grow into the role. In the meantime, the Lightning hope to find the right fit for Johansson via trade.