After drafting young defenseman Victor Hedman last Friday in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the Lightning have brought in a veteran to further along his progress. Mattias Ohlund, who has spent his entire 12-year career with the Vancouver Canucks, has moved to the Eastern Conference to play with the young Tampa Bay defense.
Ohlund was expected to receive a lot of offers today, but signed early with a contract he liked. Being known as the top-guy in Vancouver, Ohlund possesses great foot speed and the ability to move the puck out of his zone. He has reached the 30-point plateau six times in his career, and has scored 36 career power-play goals. Adding Ohlund to a power-play that ranked 19th in the league last season will surely improve their chances.
This signing, along with the acquisition of Hedman, will finally make teams fear the Lightning defense on both sides of the ice.
Keywords: mattias ohlund, nhl, tampa bay lightning, victor hedman
