New Jersey Devils: 5 Players To Consider From Florida Panthers

Anton Stralman

Anton Stralman’s contract isn’t great since he’s already 34 years old and making $5.5 million for the next two seasons. It’s a contract the Devils probably don’t love, but Stralman is a very interesting piece for the Devils moving forward. No, he wouldn’t fit the “timeline” like other defensemen, but adding a legitimate left-handed defenseman to a lineup that’s sorely missing them can only help.

He played more than 70 minutes in the Islanders series at 5v5, showing he’s still capable of taking up big minutes. He was averaging 21 total minutes per game this regular season and didn’t miss a game. Stralman is one thing, and that is extremely reliable. His numbers won’t pop out (5 goals and 19 total points), but the reason we were pushing for the Devils to sign him last offseason was because he just does his job.

He was probably a little below average this season compared to what we expected, but he was more than sufficient. Stralman can join the Devils while their defensemen like Reilly Walsh, Kevin Bahl, and Nikita Ohktyuk develop in the AHL. He’s the type of veteran that will set players up to succeed for the future.

Since the Panthers will look to drop Stralman’s contract, he will cost little to acquire, if anything at all. The Devils might even get the Panthers to eat some of that contract in a deal. If they take $1 million off his cap hit, it’s a lot easier to swallow for the next two seasons.