No. 3: Anton Stralman
He’s a little older (35-years-old) and makes a little bit more money ($5.5M), but the former Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick could be a good fit.
With 113 games of playoff experience, Stralman has been in every situation possible and the only thing he’s missing is a Stanley Cup ring. He made it to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals but hasn’t been able to win, so coming to a contender would more than likely be very motivating for him.
He can provide a little offense, but more importantly he can bring experience.
Would you rather have Holl on the second-pair or NHL veteran Stralman who’s seen everything you can think of? The clear answer is Stralman because in a big moment, you know he’s not going to get nervous or rattled and can be a great voice in the room.
With Muzzin and Stralman leading the second-pair, that would be two players with four Stanley Cup Finals appearances between them, which is incredibly valuable in tough playoff series’.
As mentioned, his contract could definitely be a problem but if the money worked, Stralman could do a lot of good for the Leafs defensive core.