John Carlson Signs with the Tampa Bay Lightning

Carlson thus joins a defensive corps that already featured Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, J.J. Moser, and Erik Cernak. There's plenty of quality on the Lightning's blue line, and Carlson is likely to contribute by playing a more offensive role within that group.

It's likely he'll get the chance to play on the first power-play unit… assuming that doesn't upset captain Hedman.

It's also worth noting that Carlson (who, let's not forget, turned 36 in January) received a pay raise compared to his last contract. The new NHL salary reality and the shorter contract length are the two factors behind this (in addition to the fact that he's still very productive), but it's still rare to see a 36-year-old player earning more per year than he did on the contract he signed at age 28.

The Lightning clearly still see Carlson as a player who is more than capable of contributing. Let's see if that turns out to be the case.

Update

Remember that earlier today, Eric Engels mentioned that the Habs were interested in Carlson. But when we saw Kent Hughes speak to the media very early this afternoon, it raised a red flag that the Habs might not exactly be in the lead in the race.

And in the end, Carlson finds himself in the Atlantic Division with a Canadiens rival. No, that's probably not what the Habs' GM had in mind.