NHL free agency 2019: 5 worst contracts from Day 1

DALLAS, TX - APRIL 29: Mats Zuccarello #36 of the Dallas Stars skates against the St. Louis Blues in Game Three of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the American Airlines Center on April 29, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images) /

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5. Anton Stralman

Veteran blueliner Anton Stralman decided to stay in the Sunshine State, only he left the Tampa Bay Lightning to sign with the inner-state rival Florida Panthers. The deal was for three years and worth a reported $16.5 million, according to Pierre LeBrun.

Florida’s big splash was landing the aforementioned Bobrovsky, and though they struck out on Panarin, it’s hard to dislike the Day 1 haul for general manager Dale Tallon. That said, the Stralman contract carries some risk, and this was simply a player the Panthers probably should have stayed away from.

Stralman turns 33 years of age in August, and he’s no longer that reliable stay-at-home blueliner. He had a poor Corsi For percentage of 47.4% this season, and Stralman was limited to 47 games this season due to injury. Given his physical style of play, Stralman may struggle to stay healthy — and he may not be a true top-four blueliner much longer.

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The Panthers did need to upgrade their defence here, especially with their championship window finally starting to open up. But given his age and recent injury history, Stralman comes with more risk than potential reward, and the Panthers can’t afford bad contracts as their cap space begins to dwindle.

The silver lining here is that the three-year term isn’t ginormous, and the Panthers can buy him out in two years if needed. But again, this is a player that the Panthers probably should have avoided. They could have found cheaper stay-at-home guys like Jordie Benn.

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