John Carlson has the potential to be a great pickup for the Lightning.
Last month, the Tampa Bay Lightning signed defenseman John Carlson to a two-year, $17 million contract in free agency. This was after they moved fellow right-shot defenseman Darren Raddysh to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a big sign-and-trade.
With the Lightning being unable to come to terms on a deal with Raddysh and moving on from him, it makes all the sense in the world that they brought in Carlson. While Carlson is 36 years old, he has continued to show that he can still make a major impact.
During this past season split between the Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks, he posted 14 goals, 46 assists, and 60 points in 71 games. With numbers like these, he should be a strong pickup for the Bolts' top four and power play.
Furthermore, with the Lightning still being in their Stanley Cup window, Carlson has the potential to be a perfect fit on their roster. The veteran blueliner has a Stanley Cup on his resume and will give the Lightning another good leader in their room for their younger players.
It is going to be very interesting to see how much of an impact Carlson makes for the Lightning from here, but the fit looks excellent on paper.
